Outside the castle walls
by happycat12
Summary: The story of a princess and a spy, present and future
1. Chapter 1

_This pretty much follows the story line of the Royals Season 1 up to episode 7, except the King dies 4 days after he is attacked, Liam and Eleanor are declared illegitimate the day he dies and Jasper does not go to prison._

 _Also this is a continuation (as a separate story) of my previous fic 'Behind these castle walls' which you can read the characters back story line of by clicking on my username._

* * *

 _At first light I think we both knew  
Just what we were getting into  
Now it feels just like I'm falling  
When will I hit the ground  
Will I be running, for you_

The Princess is not taking the news of her father's attack well and has spent the past four days at his bedside, first at the hospital and today at the Palace where he has been shifted. This morning the Prince and the Princess have been told they are illegitimate, as the family doctor has gone on camera to say they are not the King's children at all.

This evening Prince Liam has convinced his sister to finally leave the bedside of the man who is not their father but is the only father they've ever known for a few hours to go out for a couple of drinks.

At 10pm the hush of a Palace acting as a makeshift hospital for a King is broken by the news that the sovereign is dead.

The Prince and Princess arrive back half an hour later. The Princess is dressed in a skimpy silver dress and heels and is in a state of semi-collapse and is being supported by her brother as they rush back to the reception room.

The Queen stands silent and upright beside the elaborate fireplace and Jasper, her new bodyguard, watches from the corner of the room, feeling like an intruder on a family's private grief. The Queen turns to him shortly after and dismisses him for the night, telling him they want to be alone.

* * *

Jasper is walking back to his quarters when he sees an unfamiliar figure trailing down the hallway towards the Royal families quarters.

Jasper doesn't recognise him as one of the Palace staff and follows him discreetly from a distance.

When the man reaches the Princesses room he stops and places his hand to the door then opens the handle. Jasper follows him silently and watches him through the crack in the door. He is searching for something, opening the draws, checking underneath her dresser. After a few moments he finds what he has been looking for and pulls out a packet of white powder. His hand moves to his pocket and he pulls out a colourless vial and unscrews it. The man's back is turned while he has the powder and vial together and then after a minute he places his the packet back under the dresser. As the man moves to exit the room, Jasper moves to press himself behind the door, his brain working fast to process what he's seen.

This man has been cutting the Princesses drugs with something. When he's moved further down the hallway Jasper steps out of the shadows and radios through to Ted to tell him to stop the man.

Jasper starts to make his way back to the Royal family to inform the Princess about the intruder. As he makes his way back his mind is ticking over what's just happened. Prince Robert's death appears accidental but Jasper thinks it is no accident, and the King's attack is deeply suspicious.

Now the Princess, second in line to the throne is at risk. If it weren't for the rash of royal deaths that preceded this evening, tampering with the Princesses drugs would be the perfect crime. Everyone knows of her party lifestyle and her habits. No one, least of all Press, would be surprised if she were to be die of a drug overdose, and the timing could easily be attributed to her grief over her father's death.

As Jasper makes his way back towards the family, Prince Liam emerges from around a hallway corner. The Princess is still barely capable of walking and is supported by Prince Liam, with Marcus in tow behind.

Jasper waits for them to pass then falls into step with Marcus.

In his earpiece, Jasper hears Ted tell him the intruder has disappeared and Jasper steps off to the side to repeat his instructions about where he was headed.

Following them down the corridor Jasper hears Ted repeat in his ear that they have lost him.

Once Prince Liam and Princess Eleanor have entered the Princesses room, Jasper follows them into the room and shuts the doors behind him.

"Your Highnesses I need to speak with you both," Jasper says, the urgency of his tone belying the formality of his address.

Eleanor and Liam are seated on the couch while Marcus stands at the far corner. Three sets of eyes turn to watch him.

It takes him only two minutes to explain that an intruder has been in the Princesses bedroom and has mixed something into her drugs.

"In my opinion," Jasper finishes. "Given that Prince Robert and now the King have been killed in suspicious circumstances, the most likely explanation is that this was an attempt to kill the Princess. And whoever is trying to kill the Princess may very well be trying to eliminate the Prince as well."

The Prince and the Princess stare back at him, wide eyed as they unconsciously shift closer together on the couch.

"But we've both been declared illegitimate – we're not entitled to the throne," the Prince states after a moment, shaking his head. "It makes no sense for them to try to kill Eleanor. Or me. Why would -"

"Unless you're not illegitimate. Unless the Princess, or both of you, are the rightful children of King Simon," from across the room, the normally silent Marcus interrupts the Prince.

Marcus looks across at Jasper who is nodding in agreement. In the ten minutes he's had to ponder why someone would want to kill the Princess he's come to the same conclusion as Marcus.

There is silence now as the Prince and Princess digest that idea.

"You know what," says Prince Liam slowly. "Tonight I found out that our family doctor is on a flight to Gibralter first thing tomorrow morning," he says. "He's been posted there permanently. I thought it was strange because he's served our family for twenty years and then all of sudden he just ups and leaves with not so much as a farewell or goodbye."

"The only way we're going to know for sure if our father is our father is by getting hold of the blood test results," Liam finishes.

Jasper looks the Prince in the eye. "That could be arranged," he says mysteriously.

"Can I suggest that both the Prince and the Princess leave the Palace right now," Jasper says. "This situation poses an extreme risk to both your lives. If this attempt on the Princesses life is not successful there will most likely be another more sophisticated attempt. We need to remove you promptly to somewhere safe in complete discretion."

Marcus has anticipated this already. "Protocol twelve?" he asks.

Jasper nods. "You take the Prince, I'll take the Princess."

It goes without saying that the first and second in line to the throne must be separated if there is a risk to their lives.

Theoretically Hagrid should take the Princess but though he is built like a giant he is as thick as an ox and if Cyrus is after them, which Jasper's convinced he will be, she'll be dead within 24 hours if Hagrid is with her.

So Marcus will take Prince Liam and he will deal with the Princess. Though from previous experience dealing with her this could be easier said than done.

Jasper doesn't know who he can trust inside or outside the Palace. It should have been simple for Ted to stop the intruder before he left the Palace but the fact that he hasn't apprehended him makes him deeply suspicious that Ted may be involved.

The twins still look like they're still in shock.

"But I don't want to go with Jasper," Princess Eleanor protests.

"Lenny you have to do this for Dad," Prince Liam says, taking his sister by the shoulders.

"He saw what the monarchy was doing to his family, how dangerous this world was and he wanted out. So you do this for him, and for me, and you stay safe. Jasper will take you. You have to go now."

Liam's words break her again, and her shoulders hitch as a sob escapes her again at this fresh reminder that their father is gone forever.

She nods but she has to issue her own ultimatum to her brother, and her voice is a fierce whisper. "You promise me you'll leave too. We've lost Robert and Dad and you're not bloody dying on me Liam. Don't let Cyrus get you. You have to go, you promise me," she reaches out to grip his hand and clings to it wildly until he nods and tells her he's leaving too and her face loses its look of fevered intensity.

Liam gently releases her and Jasper steps up to support her, worried she will collapse without a firm hold.

"Take good care of her," Liam says quietly, looking Jasper in the eye over Eleanor's bent shoulder. Jasper nods and then the door slams behind Liam as he exits the room with Marcus in tow.

Tears roll down the Princesses' face, and she turns her face away from him. "Sorry," she mutters, self-conscious that she is falling apart in front of a man she can't trust.

Jasper lays a hand on her shoulder from behind and his touch burns hot on her bare skin.

"The only daughter who wouldn't cry the day her father dies is one who isn't worth having. Your father was a good man, he deserves your tears."

He comes around to face her and runs his finger down her cheeks to wipe away the tracks of her tears. It feels unexpectedly intimate but he is right. Her father loved her with all his heart, and she loved him back. He deserves her grief today.

A moment later he is pushing her away from him gently and he moves to grab a bag from her closet. "We have to leave. Get what you need."

He is already moving around the room pulling clothes and underwear from drawers and shoving them into a bag, and Eleanor dazedly follows suit, randomly stuffing things into the bag until it is full.

"Right," he says, picking up the bag with one hand and firmly grasping her by the hand with the other. "Let's get the hell out of here."


	2. Chapter 2

From the shadow of the Palace walls, two figures make their way towards the gatehouse where the royal vehicles are stored.

"Give me your phone," Jasper demands in a quiet but firm tone.

The princess reaches into her bag and hands it over, unsuspecting.

Jasper turns around and lobs it far away into the moat.

"What are you doing?" the Princess hisses at him.

"Your phone can be used to track where you are. No phone, no tracker," Jasper replies, pulling the Princess towards a black BMW.

He unlocks the doors and throws her bag in as well as a smaller bag he is carrying. He's about to bundle the Princess into the back seat in an ungracious hurry.

"I've got it," she protests. She doesn't need unnecessary manhandling by him just to save a few seconds.

She opens the handle and lets herself inside instead and before she's had time to strap herself in they're off.

Jasper watches her in the mirror surreptitiously as he drives. In the glitter of the London lights he can see Eleanor's eyes are still bright with tears and the car is deathly silent.

If there's one thing Jasper knows from his time as her bodyguard, it's that the Princess Eleanor loves her father. And her brothers.

Eleanor is thinking about her father, and Liam.

She is the one who has been attacked this time but if Liam is legitimate, this paints an even bigger target over his head than hers. She would like to believe they live in a world where bad doesn't prevail but Robert and her father, both beacons of truth and justice, have just been murdered in cold blood for want of a throne. She would be a fool to think that Liam is safe, being who he is - if their father is really their father - that is. And Eleanor might be spoiled and demanding but she's no fool.

She hopes that Marcus will take him away quickly, somewhere far, far away from here where Cyrus will never find him. And in her head, she has no doubt that Cyrus is behind this, and quite possibly her evil treacherous whore of a mother as well.

Jasper keeps an eye on the Princess in his rear mirror. For someone used to winning, her life has suddenly taken a swift turn towards tragedy.

Eventually Jasper says what he thinks she will most want to hear right now. "Liam's going to be fine, Marcus will keep him safe. He's the best."

She flashes him a glimmer of a smile and nods her head.

Whatever promises Marcus has made to keep Liam safe, Jasper has made the same a thousand times over for the Princess, partly because it's his job and partly because he just can't help himself.

* * *

 _As I run I am free  
No longer fighting gravity  
All triumph and tragedy  
Please run run away with me_

When they get to the channel tunnel, Jasper puts his foot down and doesn't take it off until they're half way through France.

By this time Eleanor is slumped against the door in the back seat, dead to the world.

Jasper put in a call last night to an MI5 colleague he trusts to act with the utmost discretion to hack into the NHS database and find the name of the lab that did the paternity test results for the royals. An official request is sent through from the "Royal Doctor" on Palace letterhead requesting they send another copy of the test results.

He gets the call with the results of the twin's blood test at 9.45am. What he hears convinces him a hundred times over that he was right to take the Princess and run. He cuts the call at 12 seconds so there can be no trace and swears out loud, running his hands through his hair.

Eleanor doesn't wake till its 10am and they are near Valence.

When he turns around the next time to check her he sees that she is sitting up once more with a faint flush of sleep in her cheeks.

She has a kink in her neck from resting against the door and an indentation against her arm that will later turn into a bruise from the handle. She wants a cigarette but Jasper won't stop so she can get her bag out of the boot and the combination of these things are making her irritable.

She tells Jasper to change the CD three times in the space of ten minutes, and the fourth time she asks he just ignores her.

On the seat beside her, Eleanor picks up Jasper's small bag and idly rummages through it. God knows it's going to be a long trip, wherever they're going, and she'll have to make her own entertainment. Inside she finds a stash of ammo, a revolver, a wad of cash and a change of clothes.

"So money, ammo and revolver," Eleanor announces from the back seat. "You travel light."

"That's only the beginning," Jasper replies, opening the glove box to pull out another gun.

"Got this too, and another one in my pocket."

"Three guns. Have you ever heard of the term overkill?," she asks, wondering why one man would need three guns when he only had two hands. "Really Jasper you are sooo American," the Princess sighs.

"Where did they all come from, surely you don't carry three guns with you all the time?" Eleanor questions.

"I kept them in your bedroom. Considering our relationship I decided not to tell you as I didn't want you to have access to loaded weapons."

Eleanor is not impressed with this news and Jasper's choice of phrase irritates her. "It wasn't a relationship," she states.

He eyeballs her in the mirror. "It was a relationship," he argues back.

Eleanor stubbornly shakes her head, then continues rummaging through the bag, hoping for drugs or alcohol. She is disappointed.

"You'll have to stop soon. I need to use the bathroom," Eleanor then announces.

Ten minutes later Jasper pulls into a petrol station and fills up the car and he tells her to stay inside behind the tinted windows until he has paid and then she can use the bathroom.

He arrives back and looks her over critically.

She is wearing one of her tiny, impractical sparkly silver designer dresses combined with strappy heels. Her hair is out and tumbles down her back and her eyes have heavy mascara and eyeliner around them. In the five minutes they had to leave the Palace there was no time to change her outfit for something less conspicuous.

"You look too much like yourself," he says, giving his verdict.

He passes her his coat, "put that over your dress," he instructs her. She puts it on and is swamped by it. It falls down to her mid thigh, covering the dress.

He hands her a baseball cap and sunglasses and she winds her hair into a knot and slaps the baseball cap on top of it.

His eyes fix upon the red shimmer of her lips and he leans forward and passes her a tissue.

"Tone down the lipstick," he orders, and she bites down on the tissue and wipes most of the lipstick off so its now only a faint stain of colour.

He turns around and inspects her. "Better. You can go now, but I'll stand guard outside."

She returns a few minutes later, Jasper in tow and settles back into the car, removing the baseball cap and sunglasses.

Eleanor shrugs off Jasper's jacket and asks him to turn up the air conditioning.

It is heating up now, for in southern France the sun rises early and sets late in June, and by midday the landscape starts to bake in a sweltering heat.

He starts the engine and they pull out onto the motorway again.

She has been thinking about her father's death and the fact that Jasper has been warming her mother's bed. What does it all mean? - other than that the obvious fact that he is a lying, over sexed asshole con man. What if Jasper is involved in her father's death and the person who is supposed to protect her is actually working against her family, against her?

One thing is for certain, Jasper is not to be trusted. She thinks about what she will do when they get to wherever it is they are going. Maybe she will try to lull him into a sense of security and make him think she will follow his orders and then make a break for it on her own.

"Where are we going?" Eleanor asks again for the third time.

Jasper looks up from the wheel and meets her eyes in the mirror.

"Somewhere safe," he replies, repeating the same answer he gave her last time, and the time before that.

Eleanor sighs and lights up a cigarette. In the mirror she sees Jasper scowl as the cigarette smoke wafts into the front seat. "You know that's bad for you Princess."

"So are a lot of things," she replies dismissively. "Alcohol, drugs, being born Royal when your family spends their time plotting to kill you. And speaking of things that are bad for me always brings me back to you, of course, Jasper."

Having made her point, she leans back against the car upholstery, and stretches her legs with a catlike grace as she stares out the window.

She wants the sea, she thinks.

They drive on, speeding through the plains and valleys of southern France.

* * *

Far away, evil is afoot.

Cyrus, the next King of England, is plotting to dispose of the two remaining obstacles to his ambition to rule permanently.

The first faked blood test result will buy him some time, but he knows King Simon's blood still lingers on and the rot could undo everything he has worked for.

For him, being King is the culmination of 47 years of scheming and ruthless ambition.

His first attempt on the Princesses life was not a success, and he has spent the morning in a foul mood as a result.

It's clear that the individual he commissioned to get rid of Eleanor was an amateur and he won't make the same mistake again.

At 12.30 an unnamed man in a dark suit reports to his suite for a secret audience with England's next King in waiting.

Inside the private suite, the stranger stands upright and waits for Cyrus to speak.

"I've asked you here on a matter of the utmost discretion," Cyrus begins, standing up from his chair.

"In my line of profession discretion is paramount," replies the stranger. "You may trust me to be silent as the grave."

Cyrus smirks at the irony of his choice of phrase. "Yes, well as you'll be aware I am King in all but name until the Coronation takes place," he starts to pace across the room.

"However, there are two …obstacles to my ruling," he turns to look at the stranger.

His expression does not alter at all. "I see. Am I correct in assuming that you would like these … obstacles removed, your majesty?"

"Quite right," Cyrus agrees, smiling as he resumes his seat and steeps his fingers together. "Swiftly and with the utmost discretion. They tell me you are the best, which is why you're here."

The stranger nods. "I am the best, your majesty."

"Good," Cyrus replies, leaning forward to pour himself a drink. "The Prince and Princess both disappeared last night and two of the Palace's security details have also vanished and are presumed to be in their company."

He pauses to sip at his wine elegantly. "Wherever they have gone you are to find Prince Liam and Princess Eleanor and dispatch them. It must appear to be of natural causes."

The stranger nods, "yes your Majesty, that can be arranged."

"Good," Cyrus repeats again. "Money is no object here. Tell me what you require and you shall have it."

"500,000 pounds. Deposited in my bank account in Switzerland," the stranger replies, handing over a piece of paper with an account printed on it.

"Very well then. You have yourself a deal," Cyrus gets up and shakes the strangers hand.

As the man turns to exit the room, Cyrus leans back in his chair, smiling to himself as he ponders what he will wear to his Coronation.


	3. Chapter 3

From the back seat, Eleanor's view of Jasper is of the back of his head. She knows exactly how his neck would feel if she were to lean forward and run her hands down his spine because somehow, somewhere along the way in the sick, twisted game he had been playing with her, she had become addicted to him. Addicted to his kiss, his voice and his touch on her skin the same as she was addicted to the drink, the cigarettes and the drugs.

In bed, they are like fire and ice together and there are no feelings or love only selfish desire - mostly on his part, but more recently she's started to crave him as much as he wants her.

But in the moments afterwards sometimes he'll do or say things that leave her so confused because its almost like she means something to him. Sometimes he'll pull her against his chest so that her face leans against his body and she can hear his heart, still racing from their encounter as it starts to slow and he'll stroke his fingers through her hair and it feels like she's a child again, safe and protected in her father's arms. Or else he will kiss her and whisper things in her ear, "baby, you're beautiful," he will say, and it makes her feel like she is something special, somebody special to him. These moments are only flashes in time that fade as quickly as they appear. The next day its almost like she only ever imagined them because they're back to being point scoring enemies once again.

But all that is over now. Hearing that he's been with her mother is like having ice poured into the very veins that were beginning to warm to him. The only relationship he will have to her now is that of bodyguard – Princess, and even as a bodyguard, though she acknowledges he is good at his role, he has too many secrets for her to trust him.

So she sits where she is and reads the place names as they pass in a blur and tries to figure out what the hell is going on in the giant deadly mess that her life has become.

* * *

Jasper knows three things.

One. He doesn't trust Prince Cyrus. Whoever is behind the attack on the Princess, and he assumes this is most likely Cyrus, possibly with help from the Queen or Ted Price, will have the money and resources to attempt to find and kill the Princess.

Two. He and Marcus will have to use every wile and cunning, and every deception under the sun to keep the Prince and the Princess safe.

Three. He's broken every rule in the spy's handbook. He's in way over his head now because he's fallen in love with the Princess.

* * *

When they reach the outskirts of Milan Jasper tells her to stay in the car, locks the doors and disappears off.

20 minutes later he returns with a late model Peugeot with tinted windows. "Get in," he instructs her, winding down the windows.

"What about this car?" Eleanor questions, frowning.

"We're ditching the car. One thing I learned from my time in Las Vegas – set the trail of crumbs to lead to the wrong cookie," Jasper replies.

"Still working the Jasper from Vegas story. I'm not buying it," Eleanor replies, rolling her eyes.

Eleanor steps out of the car, with her bag and passes Jasper his smaller bag, then settles into the seat of their new vehicle.

"Where are we going now?" Eleanor questions.

"Over the hills and far away Princess," Jasper replies, as elusive as ever.

* * *

They arrive that evening just after 7pm to their destination. Eleanor knows they are somewhere along the southern coast of France and she thinks they are near the border with Spain, but Jasper won't confirm or deny, damn him.

Jasper disappears off again for a while and comes back with a set of keys and they pull up outside a nondescript older style two story house. He tells her they have the top floor.

It's not what Eleanor's used to, and Jasper takes in her expression as she surveys the apartment, looking unimpressed.

"We have to maintain a low key profile," he tells her. "Checking into the Ritz just so you can stay in the style your accustomed may keep you happy but it's also the first place anyone will look for you and would very likely get you killed."

"I suppose it will have to do," she replies, dubiously, before collapsing dramatically into the chair. "I'm hungry, how are we supposed to cope without room service? What do the plebs do for food?"

Jasper smiles to himself, "Cook, you mean?"

"Yes that," she says, as though it's a foreign concept to her.

He can see he's going to have to take this slumming it thing one step at a time with the Princess.

"Just let me do a few things and then I'll get us some takeaways," Jasper replies.

* * *

His next course of action is to go through the Princesses bag, searching all the hidden spots and remove the two stashes of drugs she's brought with her and flush them down the toilet.

Eleanor doesn't find out until she sees him heading for the bathroom from the bedroom with her 'supplies.'

"What – what are you doing, Jasper? I need that!" she stands in the door, hands on hips, looking outraged.

"You don't need that," Jasper looks at her in exasperation, and flushes the toilet for a second time to get rid of the residue. "No drugs, they could be laced with God knows what."

She concedes he has a point, but the thought of being stuck inside this tiny apartment with no drugs, no entertainment and no fun for days, or even weeks, will make her go stir crazy.

"Ok fine, but I'm going to need some diversion in this place, what say I give you some cash and you go and get me a little something while you're out… like maybe some e?. You could keep the change," she moves over to grab her purse and fishes out a hundred pound note and waives it in front of him, trying to tempt him.

"I'm not your dealer, Princess. And you need to stay off the drugs," Jasper replies, shaking his head.

If she's going to act like this for the next couple of days, she's going to be exhausting, he thinks to himself.

"Anyway, I could always find ways of entertaining you Princess," Jasper replies, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"God forbid I get that desperate," she replies, rolling her eyes and stalking back to the living room.

* * *

Jasper returns with two kebabs from a Morrocan takeaway shop to find that in the small, poky laundry area, the Princess has decided she doesn't like the look of the stained couch cover and is attempting to work the washing machine.

Jasper stands behind her, looking amused.

"Do you even know how to use that?" he asks, doubtfully.

"No, but… I'm figuring it out," she replies, randomly pressing buttons, while she peers at the settings looking puzzled.

Several sets of lights are flashing at him. "I don't think that's how it's supposed to work."

Jasper decides to take pity on her. The life of a Princess may have many perks but it's clear that having someone to cater for every whim has left Eleanor entirely devoid of the skills necessary to lead a normal domestic existence.

He lifts the lid. "So first you need some powder," he says, opening the cupboard door and pulling out some washing powder.

"Oh. Right," says Eleanor. Clearly this concept is news to her.

"One scoop," Jasper instructs, and Eleanor dips the scoop into the powder. "That goes in the top there."

She dumps the scoop in the top of the washing machine.

"Right now I'm just going to reset this because it seems your button pushing has caused the machine to have a minor meltdown," he presses the off button, waits a few seconds and then switches it on again.

"Well I wouldn't have to push every button if they would just make it simple to use. It was probably designed by some dreadful American."

"Now you put it onto this setting here," Jasper points to the wash cycle, ignoring her comments. "And then select the temperate and cycle speed."

"I want the fast cycle, but how do I know what temperature to choose?" she asks, frowning.

"Well for this material I would say warm," Jasper, now with the status of chief housemaid, advises.

"Ok, so warm then," Eleanor repeats, switching the settings.

"So now I know how to do washing," she finishes, looking genuinely pleased with herself.

"A ha, a real string in your bow as housewife material," Jasper replies drolly, keeping a straight face except for the turners of his mouth which have turned up slightly.

"If only I would keep off the drugs and alcohol I could be a real catch," Eleanor replies.

"If only you would Princess," Jasper replies back, and they are both smirking at each other.

* * *

After dinner, Jasper sits down opposite her on the couch and announces they have to discuss security arrangements.

The discussion turns out to be Jasper issuing her a set of orders about things she can and can't do, but mostly things she can't do.

"You're not to leave the apartment," he states.

"You're not to use the balcony. You're not to do anything to call attention to yourself. You're not to access your email account on the computer. You're not to use my phone. You're not to use the phone here. You're not to give out your real name – if anyone asks your name is Kate Foster and you're from Putney."

He'll have to think of a job for her as a cover story too, he supposes. It might take a while to identify something the Princess might plausibly know enough about do as a day job. Drug educator possibly? Maybe they'll work on that tomorrow.

"So – assuming that I am actually allowed to consume the air in here, is there anything I AM allowed to do," Eleanor replies sarcastically, thinking she's going to need a cigarette very soon.

Jasper flashes a smile. "You can watch television, you can use the internet but not to check your email. You can read, you can do the laundry, you could even learn to cook."

His suggestions are reminiscent of the kind of quiet living ladylike behaviour her mother has often suggested she take up.

"Oh my lord, you don't know me at all, do you Jasper?" Eleanor replies, rolling her eyes.

Actually, he does, and he fully anticipated this response from her.

"Those are the rules and they're for your protection. I can't afford to take any chances with you now Princess. I'm assuming Prince Cyrus is behind the attempt on your life and both you and Prince Liam are in extreme danger right now," he states as a certainty.

Princess Eleanor leans forward, "Liam's the target. I'm just the second in line, the spare. Why did they target me first?" this is something she's been puzzling all day.

He's been watching her closely all day since he got the call this morning and he can't see any signs of it yet, but that doesn't meant its not true.

"Right now you're the second _and_ third in line to the throne," Jasper replies with emphasis.

He assumes she knows what he's talking about and she's just not letting on.

She shakes her head, "No, I'm just the second in line. One person can't be in line twice."

Jasper is an American so trust him not to understand anything about how the laws of succession work.

He sits there watching her, with his arms folded. He'd assumed she knew, but maybe she doesn't even know herself yet.

"Princess, your blood test showed that you are King Simon's daughter. So is Liam so you're both a threat to Cyrus because Liam then you should rightfully inherit the crown before him. But the test also showed something else. You're pregnant."

* * *

 _Please review if you're liking the story._

 _Man, I could write fic where Eleanor is completely impractical about the house FOREVER._


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks for all the reviews, they are lovely to read. Next chapter is below._

* * *

Eleanor's eyebrows shoot up, "that can't be right." It comes out as a flat denial.

"That's what the tests said. Maybe they're lying, but the only one who was supposed to see the real test results was Cyrus so why bother?," Jasper questions.

Eleanor slumps back into the seat, wrapping her arms around her body, her mind starting to whirl, surely she wasn't pregnant, but the more she thought about it, the more she had a horrible feeling that it was just possible she could be.

"When was your period due?," Jasper asks.

She glares at him. "I'm the Princess, and you're just my bodyguard. You don't get to ask me personal questions like that," she snaps.

That was what she had been thinking about and it is worrying her. She must be around a week late already and that is pretty unusual. For the past few days the only thing she has been thinking about was to be at her father's bedside while he was ill. A lot had happened in just five days so that could also be the cause of it.

"Well sure you're the Princess but its worth remembering that I used to share your bed until recently so I don't think there's any need to stand on ceremony here," Jasper drawls.

Jasper is clearly doing his best to irritate her here.

"Well, that's not happening again so you can forget all about that seeing as you don't have a video, Jasper from Nevada."

"You say that now but I'm pretty sure you won't be able to resist me forever," Jasper replies back. He likes the banter. It reminds him of old times.

Eleanor rolls her eyes dramatically at him, "I think I can manage to hold out."

Jasper grins and then after a few seconds his tone becomes deadly serious, "if you are pregnant, it puts you in more danger than you already are. Cyrus is a very dangerous man and he won't want anyone else coming between him and the throne."

If he's trying to get of Liam and Eleanor, Jasper knows Cyrus is going to have to play his hand very carefully and attack them in a way that minimises suspicion. But it would be simple to get rid of a baby - a slip, a fall, or poison would do it - and the best time to do so would be before the public even knows of its existence.

Eleanor bites her lip. "It is possible that I may be pregnant. I am a little late but… it's impossible to know for sure unless I take a test. I mean a PROPER test where nobody working for Cyrus is involved because I just cannot trust that man."

Her hands are knotting together and her face has drained of colour. Jasper couldn't remember ever seeing her look so young and vulnerable.

If anyone was the father of Eleanor's child it should be him, but that wasn't likely as they'd always used protection.

To the rest of the world Marcus was silent as the grave, as his job required him to be, but Jasper was one of the few people he could actually talk to about his work, and Jasper has heard quite a lot about what went on in Monaco. He'd heard about Beck, Eleanor's married ex flame, who spent the weekend in Monaco with Liam and Eleanor. He's heard that Eleanor spent the night in Beck's room. Marcus tells him he thinks they're in love but he won't leave his wife.

It's a good thing Beck hasn't turned up again because Jasper has a strong urge to punch him. He's pretty sure that Beck is the father of the baby so no wonder Eleanor looks so concerned – on top of her family dying and otherwise disintegrating on her along with her uncle trying to kill her, if he ever found out about the child, Beck would probably disown it and tell his wife Eleanor was lying.

He was back to being Eleanor's bodyguard again so it is his job to protect her, whatever she does and whatever the cost. And even though the thought of Eleanor having someone else's child makes him feel sick, she needs his protection now most of all.

"I just really need to know for sure," Eleanor says to herself.

Playing the role of nurse, or best friend to a pregnant Princess is not something he would ever have aspired or wanted to do but it seems as if it has to be done. Eventually if the test is positive she will have to see a doctor, but letting her make an appointment is not a risk he is willing to take right now.

"Fine. So I'll get a test and you'll take it," Jasper says decisively, then he turns on his heel and leaves the room.

* * *

Marcus and Liam are holed up in a cottage in the wilds of northern Scotland. They've spent the afternoon drinking and playing poker, and watching C grade American action movies.

"So where did Jasper say he's taken Eleanor?" Liam asks, picking up a piece of pizza. He thinks maybe he's asked this question before, but he can't remember the answer. He's pretty hammered now, so maybe he never knew anyway.

Marcus shakes his head. "Don't ask, don't tell is our policy. It's better that neither of us knows where the other is."

Marcus is somewhat more sober as the Prince, because at the end of the day, he still has a job to do.

"But she is my sister? And my Dad's my Dad right?" he's pretty sure that's what Marcus told him earlier.

"Yeah," Marcus nods.

Liam relaxes back into the chair, and smiles to himself. If his Dad wasn't his Dad anymore and Eleanor wasn't his proper sister that would feel like his life had been turned upside down.

The only part of this that he doesn't like is that Eleanor is in danger because she is her father's daughter and he is in hiding for the same reason.

Liam leans forward and raises his glass of beer to his lips and takes a gulp. "Tomorrow I'm gonna stop drinking and we're gonna make a plan," he raises his eyebrows conspiratorially. "You and me are gonna make a plan to get Cyrus. Right?"

Marcus nods in agreement. "Right."

"Yeah. We're gonna make a good plan and Cyrus is gonna get his comeuppance and Eleanor can come back home and me and Ophelia are gonna be happy."

Liam slumps back in his chair, beaming as he thinks about how he's going to set the world to rights again.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you once again for the reviews. More drama ensues this chapter …_

Eleanor has locked herself in the bathroom.

She stares at the test, and it feels like her heart stops beating and her stomach falls to the floor.

"FML," she exclaims and hurls the packet into the corner of the bathroom.

* * *

When she eventually comes out of the bathroom she stalks back to her bedroom, slams the door and leans back against the bedroom wall, trying to fight the tears that are threatening to come.

Jasper knocks at her door, his brow furrowed. "Eleanor? Can I come in?"

"Go away," her reply is short and sharp. She is definitely not in a mood to speak to him right now.

He thinks he's safe to assume this behaviour means the test confirmed she is pregnant, but then he was pretty sure that was the case anyway, otherwise they would have targeted Liam first rather than her.

"Can I get you something?" he tries again, taking a slightly different tack.

"No," is all she has to say.

* * *

In a gloomy flat in London's East End a man is bent over a laptop while a second man is writing underneath a set of four pictures on the wall.

Prince Liam's photo is connected with an arrow to his bodyguard Marcus. Beneath the photo there is a photo of a black Jaguar and the license plate number. Then scrawled underneath A1 – Edgeware 23.48, A1 – Luton 00.05.

Next to this is a photo of Princess Eleanor and her bodyguard. Underneath is a photo of a black BMW, the license plate number and under this A20 - Sidcup – 23.55.

"The Princess has contacts in Paris and is familiar with the city. That's a possibility, although it may be too obvious," the second man is talking as he makes notes on his laptop.

"We're making enquiries into the Princess's bodyguard, and it seems he may be a slippery customer so we can expect some level of cunning on his part," he adds.

The man standing near the photos nods. "Our source is checking footage from the entry to the channel tunnel ETA between 12.30 and 1am. Their path suggests they could be heading for the continent. We'll keep tracking the Prince north and see if we get any more hits."

The man on the laptop adds this to his notes. "Anything from their cellphones?" he asks.

"Nothing as yet, but we'll keep looking," the man standing takes a drag from his cigarette and then exhales. "It's only a matter of time now. The boss always gets his man in the end. Or in this case his Prince and Princess."

* * *

Jasper sits at the couch after breakfast looking at the map on his phone. In his other hand he has a pen and a piece of paper with several points plotted on it.

He has already decided on a strategy. He knows how to be invisible, it's been ingrained into him through his training.

The rules are simple – leave no trace, stay on the run, be unpredictable.

In two days time they will switch cars again and move west, and three days later they will move again to the point he has marked on the piece of paper.

Everything rests on his shoulders, as well as on Marcus, he thinks. He knows well enough that they can't keep this up indefinitely, because Cyrus will be after them, and if he has any common sense he will send someone good after them. And Cyrus is nothing but not cunning.

So in the short term they will have to go to ground and stay on the run. But very soon if they are to keep the Prince and Princess alive they will also have to form a plan to expose Cyrus and his nest of lies and bring him to his knees.

* * *

By lunchtime Eleanor is seething.

Jasper hasn't said a damn thing to her about what happened last night all day.

"What do you want for lunch?," Jasper stands in the doorway of her bedroom to ask an innocent enough question, but to her it's like a red rag to a bull.

"Aren't you ever going to say anything about this … situation?" she demands. She's been working herself up over this all morning. She's not ready to use the words 'baby' or 'pregnant' yet.

Jasper looks back at her and wonders what she is looking for here.

"Congratulations."

"Congratulations?" she spits out. She feels like going over there and smacking him in the head for that comment.

Eleanor stalks over to him and points her finger in his face. "You're responsible for this whole mess and you don't seem to care at all," she explodes. "You started this whole blackmail sex thing and then you had to be so full of sperm that you can't help but knock me up."

Jasper stares back at her, momentarily at a loss for words. "So you think that I'm the father of the baby?"

This sets her off on a rant. "Yes, or course you're the father Jasper. When could I ever have slept with someone else? You told me that you 'owned' me as if I was your property, and you've been watching me 24/7 and no other man's been allowed to so much as look at me without you getting all possessive. You knocked that swimmer out before we even kissed and then I spent most of the last week at my father's hospital room, do you think that I spent my time sneaking out into the cupboards for a quickie with one of the doctors? Of course it's your baby. Though what this child has done to deserve a father with no name who spends his time shagging their grandmother I don't know. "

Eleanor throws her arms around wildly and is totally out of control. She already has a tendency towards the dramatic and the hormones seem to be making things worse.

This news is a shock to Jasper, but Eleanor sees nothing on his face, other than his eyebrows have risen higher than normal.

"And you're sure the baby's not Becks?" Jasper questions. He has to be sure this is the truth.

"Why would the baby be Beck's?," Eleanor shoots back, sounding both confused and outraged.

"Marcus told me you slept together in Monaco and spent the weekend all over each other," Jasper replies back, cool as you please.

"FML," Eleanor exclaims, "Who needs paparazzi when you have security details who gossip like schoolgirls!"

"Nothing happened with Beck ok?," she is still steaming. "Yes I did sleep in his bed but there was no sex involved. He's married and he wants to stay with his wife. Beck's not responsible for this," she finishes, glaring at him.

This is a lot for him to take in and Jasper stands there for a moment, silent.

Then he comes over to her. She turns away from him because she is too angry to let him to be close to her, but his hand is on her arm forcing her back around to face him.

He grips her shoulders and looks level into her eyes and his voice sounds fierce. "Eleanor when I took this job I made a promise to protect you with my life, and that's a promise I intend to honour. And you're wrong if you think I don't care about you and that I don't care about the baby. I care too much."

 _End of Chapter Five_

 _PS Jasper - if I could offer you some advice, I'm pretty sure "Congratulations" was the wrong thing to say here unless you want Eleanor to kick you in the nuts - but if you do then go right ahead and say that. He he._


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you for all the reviews, its great to hear so many of you are enjoying reading the story._

It's been a week now since they ran from the Palace. They're onto their third apartment now and the strain of living on the run, in fear of her life is showing for Eleanor.

Jasper can see that she's stewing and being away from her home is just the tip of the iceberg for her.

Eleanor thinks Jasper doesn't know that every night when she shuts her door she just curls up on her bed and cries for her father and Robert, but Jasper knows everything.

Princess or not, she is, after all, just a girl who has just lost her father and brother.

Coming off whatever assortment of drugs and drink she was on hasn't been easy for the Princess either. For the first couple of days she was downright jittery and shaky and she's only now starting to look like she's not in desperate need of a fix.

The day after they arrived in France he had her write a list of everything she'd taken, and when, over the past month, partly so he knew what symptoms to expect and partly because he wanted to know whether she's taken anything that could seriously damage a baby. In the three weeks she had been pregnant the Princess seems to have been in a weird breathing space where the only thing she took was weed along with the odd bout of drinking slightly too much, but not getting blindly drunk. He googles marijuana use in pregnancy and finds to his relief the baby should be fine.

Eleanor actually has dated the timing of the baby to just after the night she first asked Jasper to take advantage of her and she knows the reason why she stayed off the hard drugs. It was because she was with Jasper then, and he actually made her happy. But of course she doesn't tell him that's why.

Even though Jasper says he cares for her, she still doesn't trust him. Their relationship started with him manipulating her and ended with him betraying her once she actually started to trust him. She can't forgive him that and she won't forget either.

Although Jasper tells her the baby should be fine and that the drugs won't have harmed it, Eleanor thinks this thing, this child, deserves better than to be born to a 21 year old unemployed ex Princess who has been declared publicly illegitimate, is in recovery from drink, drugs and unlimited credit card reserves, on the run with no address and no name because her uncle is trying to kill her and the last remaining member of her family she actually loves. And even if they do get back home the tabloids would make its life miserable living in the zoo that is the Royal Palace.

Eleanor tells him that she's made up her mind not to have the baby.

Jasper's mouth tightens in a way that suggests he doesn't like her idea at all but its not his decision to make.

"You need give it some time and think about it. You have to be sure of what you want because this decision is forever," is all he says in the end.

Ever since Eleanor told him she was pregnant with his child he's been feeling like a bastard. It wasn't as if he was ever under the impression that blackmailing the Princess into sex was a moral thing to do, but she was such a stuck up little bitch it just all seemed like a game when it started. And now, of course, he feels completely different about her.

He wants her to have a choice here but the consequences of a child are going to reverberate forever. He's put her in more danger than she already is. And if she does ever manage to get her title back, how are they going to explain an unmarried pregnant princess and a bastard child? Eleanor says that she doesn't want a child and if they get back to the Palace her mother will probably whip her off for an abortion in the blink of an eye and Eleanor is already far too messed up as it is.

He'll have to think of some way to make this right so that she has a choice. He has to find some way for Eleanor to be safe.

* * *

Inside the faded nineteenth century hotel the light is dim in contrast to the strong sunshine outdoors in the seaside town of La Palme.

The man dressed in jeans and a grey t shirt removes his sunglasses and approaches the reception desk.

"Pardon, madame," he starts politely, handing the woman two photos of a dark haired girl and a handsome blonde young man.

He asks her if she recognises them. "Qui est la princesse anglaise?" she replies, pointing to the photo of the girl.

He nods and asks her if either of them have stayed at the hotel recently. She shakes her head and replies that the likes of her do not entertain royalty, and then adds that that perhaps it is as well as the Princess has a reputation as a troublemaker.

He exits the hotel disappointed. They are sure the Princess and her bodyguard have stayed in the town. There are six accommodation establishments in the town, and this the third one he has visited.

He returns to the car, opens the door and slides into the passenger seat. In the driver's seat, his companion is idly polishing the barrel of a black revolver.

"No luck there. Let's try the next place," he tells the other man.

"Right," his companion nods. "We can't let the trail go cold," he adds as he switches the ignition on and pulls out to continue their search.

* * *

"Cyrus doesn't get rid of us Liam, we get rid of him," Eleanor's voice is fierce as she speaks to her brother through the unregistered mobile phone Jasper has brought.

It feels good to hear Liam's voice again and know that he is safe, at least for now, because he sounds like home.

Together with Liam and Marcus they have concocted a cunning plan to bring down the King.

On separate sides of Europe the Prince and Princess sit down to write a list.

Jasper stands beside her as she sits at the table. "We need anything illegal, immoral or just plain insane that he's done. And details - names, dates and locations, everything you can remember," Jasper instructs.

Eleanor arches her eyebrows and puts pencil to paper. This is going to take a while, she thinks.

 **Season 2 comments** (slightly spoilery so don't read if you haven't seen the episode)

 _I hope everyone who's been able to watch episode 1 of series 2 has been enjoying it. I actually liked it a lot with the return of a certain person, I also like their chemistry with Eleanor and (don't shoot me here because I also like jealous Jasper). I did pick up a line from the episode in this chapter if you noticed._

 _And oh my god the scene with Eleanor and the polo player - funny. If they had a caption competition I'm pretty sure her face would say "That's not the way Jasper does it."_


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you for the reviews for last chapter, another chapter below for your literary pleasure_

Every few days there's a new city and a new apartment for Jasper and Eleanor.

They seemed to have reached a weird kind of Mexican stand-off where by mutual unstated agreement each of them tries to avoid contentious issues such as the baby, her father, or the fact that her uncle is trying to kill her, or to be correct to kill all of them - her, Jasper, Liam and Marcus.

For all that she's not the easiest charge, Eleanor knows that Jasper doesn't have to be here, he's not her bodyguard anymore and he's risking his life to do this right now. She can't quite bring herself to be grateful to him but she's trying not to be too awful – well, most of the time anyway.

Jasper can leave the apartment but Eleanor's been shut up like Rapunzel in a tower as they've moved from one apartment to another over the last two weeks. The quiet life doesn't suit her and for his part Jasper is trying to keep her busy because she's at her worst when she's bored.

He's been teaching her to cook. He's done this partly out of necessity, after he returned one day to find her about to microwave some noodles in a stainless steel pot. He yanked the bowl off her while she looked back at him in bewildered annoyance and he had to explain that that would cause the microwave to blow up.

Since then he's been plagued by visions every time he goes out of returning to find she's burned down the apartment while attempting to use the oven or microwave.

Her initial efforts are terrible – in her first attempt at making rice risotto she managed to both set off the smoke alarm from burning the bacon and serve the rice with some of the vegetables still frozen. But lately she's been getting better. In fact Jasper went so far as to describe her last meal as 'pretty damn good' and Eleanor is secretly thrilled to think that she did this herself.

This evening he is helping her make sweet and sour pork.

"So you slice the carrots into little pieces," he instructs her.

"Like this?" she asks, starting to dice the carrots into small cubes, the way he showed her with an onion.

It is hot in the kitchen so Jasper is just wearing a singlet and shorts.

"No," he is standing behind her and he shakes his head and leans into her, wrapping his hand around hers to take control of the knife. "You want to do it lengthwise, into thin strips,' he replies, using their hands to slice the carrots the right way.

His body is lean and masculine and it radiates heat into her back. She remembers how it felt when he was pressed against her, on top of her. She knows how sinewy and strong his arms would feel if she were to run her fingers down them. It would be so tempting to lean right back into him and feel his hands sliding around her waist.

He releases the knife and passes it back to her and she has to take a moment to collect herself again and remember that she is supposed to be cooking dinner here, not falling for Jasper's charms. She reminds herself that Jasper slept with her mother and that she is not to trust him, ever again.

She steps away from him and moves to the cupboard to find a frypan.

* * *

When he arrives at work on Tuesday morning, Daily Mail Editor Henry Boyle finds a crisp A4 envelope sitting on his desk with his name marked on it.

He puts down his briefcase, settles himself into his chair, starts up his laptop and then picks up the envelope.

The heading on the document inside immediately grabs his attention. "An expose on the real character of our new King," it reads.

He begins to read. " _While previous Kings have been known to spawn the occasional bastard King Cyrus really outshines his predecessors in this regard. The new King has no less than 18 bastards, none of which he takes any moral or financial responsibility for as their father…_

Mr Boyle's laptop has now come to life but he fails to notice this.

An hour later he would normally stop for his 9am coffee fix but he has his feet up on his desk and his eyes glued to the 17 page dossier on the Machiavellian machinations of King Cyrus.

Eventually at page 11 he has to wrench himself away from the fascinating, sordid and shocking contents in his hand to make the necessary arrangements. There will be time to finish the file later on.

He picks up his phone to call his PA. "Get the editorial team in here asap, Victoria, we've got the scoop of the century."

* * *

"FML!"

Even though the door to Eleanor's bedroom is nearly closed with just a crack showing, Jasper can still hear her from the lounge.

He pushes open the door to see Eleanor sitting in the middle of the room in her underwear with her back to him, rifling through her suitcase. Several items of clothing are strewn out around her and she pulls out a black long sleeved top, examines it critically them tosses it behind her.

"What's up?"

"Everything is either too hot or too small," she says fuming, her back turned to him as she looks resentfully at the strapless top she tried unsuccessfully to get into a few minutes ago. Only three days ago she managed to squeeze into that but now it seems she and the top have parted ways.

It's July and this apartment is stiflingly hot now that the temperatures are well into the 30s and most of the clothes she packed are totally unsuitable for this heat.

And now her stupid body is turning on her too and she can't fit two of the lighter tops and a dress she used to be able to wear now that it looks like her chest has gone up half a cup size.

She hears his footsteps enter the room. "You'd better not be coming in here when I'm not dressed, Jasper," she warns, still with her back to him.

Jasper ignores her instructions and comes in anyway and stands in front of her, looking her up and down.

"You know you look sexier than ever now," he drawls in his Las Vegas voice.

It's a compliment but his timing could not be worse. Eleanor gives him a death stare.

"You could have told me that you were taking me somewhere that's like a million degrees when we left the Palace, and then there would be at least be something I could wear in here," she says icily.

"Maybe. But maybe I like it when you don't have anything to wear," he replies, smirking.

Eleanor looks up at him and narrows her eyes, then hurls a pair of leather pants at him. He is really trying to piss her off here. "Sod off," she yells at him.

Jasper catches the pants and then tosses them back into her suitcase, grinning.

"How about I get you some new clothes when I'm out Princess?" Jasper offers.

"Yes well seeing as you blackmailed me into sleeping with you and then managed to successfully knock me up in spite of being encased in a layer of rubber it's probably the least you can do," she says, waiving her hairbrush about in a manner that Jasper thinks suggests she is seriously considering its capability as a missile.

Her royal breeding shines through because even sitting in the middle of a disaster area clad in nothing but a skimpy set of underwear she manages to deliver this line with an air of impeccably haughtily distain.

He smiles and lingers a moment, looking at her and then leaves.

* * *

...

 _ok, I admit it, I like it when they fight. It's gold!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Thanks for all the reviews, they are great to read_

Jasper comes back mid-morning to find Eleanor slouched on a chair by an open window smoking. She's bare footed but dressed in the strappy tiny silver sparkly dress she left the Palace in and the zip at the back is only half way done up because she can't get it right up anymore. The material looks heavy in such sweltering weather and her face is flushed. As daywear it's both completely ridiculous and ridiculously glamourous – but them the Princess has a talent for making even the ordinary look dazzling.

She gives him a look that dares him to say anything about how she's dressed or what she'd doing. He's told her a few times he thinks she should lay off the cigarettes but it's her one final comfort in her mind (or vice in his mind) and she's still clinging to it. He'll admit that sometimes he enjoys provoking her because he likes the back and forth banter but she's been right on the edge for the past couple of days and he has a strong enough instinct for self- preservation to keep his mouth shut right now.

"I got you some clothes," Jasper says instead, passing a shopping bag to her.

Eleanor pulls out one dress and examines it critically. It's a long cotton sleeveless blue and white spotted maxi dress. The next dress is a cream floral organza summer dress that would reach her knees with little puff sleeves and ruffles down the front.

The first one is slightly better but the cream one is like something her mother would deem highly suitable for a garden party. Seriously, does Jasper think that is the sort of stuff she likes to wear? Has he never looked at her clothes at all?

"They're not really my style, you know," Eleanor replies, looking at the dresses disdainfully.

She looks back at Jasper to find he is smirking. It surprises him that she's managed to be this diplomatic.

"That's exactly the point," he replies. "The less you look like yourself the better. And the material is cool so I won't have to hear you whining about how you're too hot anymore Princess."

Eleanor rolls her eyes and stuffs the dresses back into the bag. She does have to admit he does have a point that the material did feel incredibly light. So maybe she will try them on later and settle for being unfashionably unedgy but not stiflingly hot.

Jasper moves to the kitchen to unpack some bread and milk, chicken and vegetables he brought at the supermarket. He doesn't tell her that while he was there he stood in front of the packets of hair dye for quite some time wondering if Eleanor was blonde she would be less recognisable. In the end he decided that most of the women here are dark haired so a blonde would not be less conspicuous. And this is a reasoned decision on his part and not about the fact that he likes her tumbled dark curls just the way they are. Clearly.

...

* * *

...

It's taken them longer than they imagined it would but he thinks they've finally caught up with the runaway Princess and her devious bodyguard.

The bodyguard is no amateur, he'll give him that. He's covered their tracks well, swapping cars and towns every few days, checking in under false names and keeping the Princess tucked away from prying eyes.

They've been trailing them from their first stop in the south of France then across several towns in the Spanish hinterland and coast. Now they're back in France once more and when they finally get to Bordeaux he and his partner already know exactly what they'll do because it's the same routine they've followed in every other town. Check out the accommodation to see if they can get a lead.

After two and half weeks on the road he and his partner are starting to tire of this game of cat and mouse. He's confident that fairly soon they will find them and this will all end.

One thing he knows for sure is that King Cyrus' reign is no fairytale and there will be no happy ending for this Princess.

...

* * *

...

Eleanor is standing at the window looking longingly over the city. It's been four days since Jasper brought her the new clothes and she is wearing the cream dress he brought her which she doesn't like but which is cool and light. The soft floral pattern clings to her and the sunlight lights up her hair.

This is not the same Eleanor as before. She's lost half the makeup, and now has just a little mascara, eyeliner and lipstick. She doesn't have a straightener so her hair falls in glossy dark waves. Some combination of coming off the drugs and being pregnant means she has put on just a little weight and there is a new softness about her face and figure, and a glow to her.

He thinks she's so beautiful that sometimes it hurts to even look at her.

She turns and breaks the silence.

"Why haven't they published the story yet?" she demands, frowning. "It's already been four days since they got it, it should be in the papers by now."

"They're probably checking the sources before they publish it," Jasper shrugs. "I suppose they have to verify everything before it goes to print."

Eleanor lets out a little noise, rich with exasperation. "They better publish it because I don't want to have to live like this forever. Everything in it is true and someone has to expose Cyrus for what he really is."

"They will publish it," Jasper replies firmly. "It's too good a story not to print."

"But what if they don't?," Eleanor replies, wrapping her hands around her body.

She starts pacing back and forth across the room. "What if they don't publish it and what if they find Liam and hurt him, what if they've already found him? What if he's already dead and I don't even know?"

She is working herself up into a right state, voicing out loud all of the fears and anxieties that have been weighing her down for the past two weeks.

Jasper comes over to her and his hand reaches out towards her shoulders but she is having none of it.

She steps away from abruptly, pushing his hands away from her. "Don't you touch me," she hisses, remembering those hands are the same ones that pressed her mother close to him.

She feels like prisoner in this apartment. It is stifling and claustrophobic. She moves to the window where she can see the street below and she longs to feel the breeze on her skin.

"I want out of here. I can't stand this place, its driving me crazy," the words tumble out of Eleanor's mouth. Her voice is shaky with the tears that are threatening to come.

Jasper has seen this coming since this morning. She has the same look about her as she had down in the bunker after her father was attacked. He's not sure whether what's coming next is a tantrum or some kind of breakdown but he thinks she's going to do something stupid if she doesn't get out.

"Fine, we'll go out," Jasper announces decisively, moving to the door to fetch the wide brimmed sun hat he brought her for when they change cars.

She stares back at him, mildly shocked. "We will?"

In two in a half weeks she hasn't been allowed out of the various apartments they've stayed in, she hasn't even been allowed out on the balcony.

Jasper nods. "Put your hair up and put your sunglasses and the hat on."

She collects herself then finds a hair tie and winds her hair into a knot.

He hands her a pair of sunglasses and the sunhat and they make their way to the door. After two days of viewing the city from the window, Eleanor will finally get to see something of Bordeaux.

...

 _Please review and let me know how you are liking the story_

 _The dress that Eleanor's wearing is actually really beautiful (even if its not her taste). If you want to see it it is the cream floral one with ruffles that Michelle Williams wears in Suite Francaise (you can google it with her name and the name of the movie). This is a great movie by the way and the 2 leads are fantastically romantic together_


	9. Chapter 9

_Another chapter is below, thanks everyone for the lovely review._

 _Not sure everyone has read the previous chapter as I loaded it quite soon after the previous one so you may have missed it._

 _Anyone this chapter has my favourite scene in it so far, which I just love and I hope you will like it too!_

* * *

There is a bustling liveliness about Bordeaux's streets that pleases Eleanor.

No one appears to take the slightest interest in her and she welcomes the anonymity the hat and sunglasses provide.

She keeps walking, not knowing or caring where she is heading because there is a sense of relief in being out of her cage, out in the open with the breeze washing over her and the sunshine on her skin.

Behind her Jasper lets her walk where she wants and trails her a few feet behind her, watchful and wary.

* * *

Eleanor will tell anyone who'll listen that Liam has the worst taste in sandwich combinations.

"I think you literally burned your taste buds off by eating too many shrimp and banana sandwiches. God forbid you ever become King because your catering decisions will have the rest of your guests vomiting over the buffet tables," she tells him once, making a face as he tucked into the said sandwich choice which both smells and looks totally disgusting.

Right now, Liam is standing in the kitchen of the third cottage they've moved to experimenting with some bold culinary choices – peanut butter and apricot jam, and cheese and honey.

He slices the sandwiches and places them onto a plate and can't resist taking a bite out of each, just to see how they taste.

Turns out he was right once again, because the taste is unusual but delicious.

"You want one of these bad boys?" he yells out to Marcus.

Marcus is sitting in the living room playing a game on his phone but knows enough about Liam's tastes to be wary.

"Uh, what is it?" he questions, yelling back at Liam.

"Sandwiches – either peanut butter and apricot jam or cheese and honey."

Marcus makes a face, which fortunately Liam can't see. Sounds repulsive.

"I'm good," Marcus replies back, diplomatically.

"Your loss then," Liam yells back. All the more for me, he thinks to himself, grinning.

Marcus severely doubts the accuracy of this statement.

Liam is making his way to the cupboard to grab a glass when a flurry of movement in the doorway catches his eye.

There is no time to think, or move or cry out before the man dressed in black raises his gun and fires two shots.

Liam sways and collapses to the ground, staring in shock at his hand, now clasped to his stomach as the crimson blood stains his hand and starts to flood the floor.

* * *

On a hot summer afternoon Eleanor has made her way right across town, with Jasper following silently behind.

They are in the old part of town now and there is a large medieval church towering over a small square.

Eleanor is drawn to it and stands in its entranceway. The church is beautiful and it feels cool and still after the heat and glare of the streets.

She steps her pregnant, unmarried self inside. If God were going to strike her down, she would probably be smouldering long before now. She doesn't turn but she can hear Jasper's footsteps on the stone following her in behind.

The church is deserted except for one dark figure bent over in prayer in the front row.

The elderly nun has heard them approach and stands to ask her in French if she'd like to light a candle. The nun must be well into her 80s and shows no sign she recognises her. In fact, it takes Eleanor a moment to register she's not looking at them at all because she is blind. Her face is turned towards the aisle, but her eyes don't focus on their faces.

Eleanor takes off her sunglasses and hat and nods, "Oui, merci."

Eleanor lights one candle and stands on tippy toes to place it on the metal holder. "This is for you Robert," she whispers, and then lights a second one for her father. She stands there for several minutes looking at the flames flickering and thinking about how much she misses them. Her father's funeral was last week and it breaks her heart that she and Liam, the two people who loved him most in the world, couldn't be there to pay their respects to him. The tears pool on her lashes and begin to slide down her face but her thoughts are of the past and a thousand miles away in England so she doesn't even notice them.

The nun is still standing, facing towards the front of the church. When she hears Eleanor's footsteps move towards her she asks in French if she would like her to pray for her.

There's something about the gesture, and the women herself, that makes Eleanor feel totally humbled. This nun, in frail health, spends her days in this place but she can't see how beautiful it is. She can't see the way the light illuminates the colours of the stained glass or the elegant lines of the vaulted ceilings. She just sits here, alone in silence, and waits to welcome people so that they can appreciate what she can't see, and then prays for them.

On an impulse Eleanor goes to her and takes her lined hand in hers then kisses her on the cheek.

Eleanor thanks her and asks her to pray for Liam, the missing half of her who she wants to be kept safe from Cyrus.

The nun's face lights up at her touch and she squeezes Eleanor's hand back and tells her of course she will pray for him.

Jasper has been standing half way down the aisle but now silently moves towards the front of the church and drops some coins into the donation box by the candles.

Eleanor sits in a pew in the second row and look up at paintings on the roof and the scenes in the coloured glass windows. She looks to the front of the church where there is a statue of Mary and Jesus, and for the first time she thinks about what it would be like to have a baby of her own to hold in her arms. The want for something she doesn't think she can have feels like a sharp twist in her side.

She doesn't know how long she's been sitting there but eventually the strong light of mid-afternoon starts to grow dimmer and the church bell tolls five strokes for the hour.

Like she's waking from a dream Eleanor pulls herself to her feet, places a hand on the pew and turns around to look behind her. As ever Jasper has assumed a position by the door where he stands, arms crossed, patiently waiting.

When he sees her stand and look at him, he comes forward to meet her.

Looking at him now, Eleanor feels suddenly guilty. Jasper hasn't asked for anything from her now, but she knows that what he's doing for her must come at a cost. She still doesn't know why he's doing any of this, who he is or what he wants.

Don't ask and don't tell is the creed he lives by.

"When we get back," Eleanor starts, "won't you lose your job?"

Jasper shrugs, "yeah, probably."

"Why'd you do it then? Why'd you take me away even if that's what will happen?"

"Like I said Princess, I promised to protect you," Jasper replies, repeating what he's said before. But that's not the whole truth.

"And I did it for you," he adds, his eyes locking into hers. He wants her to understand that the promises her makes to her aren't just about his job they are about her. Everything he does is for her.

He is less than a metre away from her and he can still see the tear tracks on her face and the way her hands are curled around her forearms, holding herself together. He knows who the two candles and the tears are for because he knows everything about her. Her tears burn a hole in his heart.

He doesn't anticipate what she does next. Eleanor steps into him and rests her head against his chest.

He breathes in the scent of her hair and it leaves him with a profound sense of longing.

"Jasper-," she starts. "What if I don't want to be a Princess, what if I just want to be me?," she says into his chest.

"You can be anything you want to be, Eleanor."

She looks up at him and his eyes look back at hers solemnly. This is a truth that hurts her because it is exactly what Robbie used to say to her.

"Will you help me?" she asks.

He hopes he's read what she wants and why correctly.

"Does this mean you want to keep the baby?"

It feels like the ground has shifted so far under her these past few weeks that she doesn't know anything anymore. She's been trying to fight this for weeks and to decide with her head but she knows now that she can't be ruled by anything other than her heart.

She nods.

"I'll do whatever you want, Princess. Just say the word."

"I'm not a Princess anymore," she replies back, reminding him that she's nothing but ordinary now.

But to him she shines so bright even in a darkened room that she'll always be a Princess.

They've walked two miles across town today. Eleanor feels suddenly exhausted and they still have another two miles to walk home yet.

She steps away from him, and puts her hat back on. "Let's go back now."


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks for the reviews for chapter 9, glad you liked it too._

 _This is just a short chapter but I think you'll like Jasper here. And get your Jaspenor fix if you're not getting it from anywhere else at the moment. Ha ha_

* * *

At the apartment Jasper comes and sits beside her on her bed.

His face is serious.

"You know we could be a family", he says, running his fingers down her cheek, "we could be happy."

Jasper has a plan for their future, a way for them to be safe. It feels strange and new but a brave thing for her to think about the life they could have together.

"Let's try then," she says, and for the first time in a long time her heart doesn't feel heavy - she has a a sense of something that feels like hope for the future.

"Ok baby," he says. His hand is winding her hair round his fingers and pulling her into a kiss.

In the moonlight all is still outside except for the subtle creak of a window in the downstairs entrance to their apartment being opened with a crowbar. A moment later two men dressed in black slip through the narrow opening and creep into the hallway.


	11. Chapter 11

It is the sound of a footstep scraping against the hallway table – almost inaudible to anyone but a trained spy - that alerts Jasper to the fact there's trouble and he reacts immediately.

"Get under the bed," Jasper hisses an order, pushing her down onto the floor.

Eleanor blinks for two seconds before scrambling under the bed. It is a good thing she is small, otherwise she wouldn't fit under here at all. She looks around and at the far edge of the bed she spies the glimmer of a black shiny object – another of the many guns Jasper the gunslinger from Nevada has left positioned around the place - and leans over to pull it towards her.

Jasper switches off the lights and presses himself behind the door, drawing his gun from his holster.

Underneath the bed Eleanor is thinking about how to fire the gun. She's never handled a revolver but her brother Robert showed her how to fire a rifle, although she was never keen on hunting animals. From under the bed she can see that she's not going to get a shot high enough to do any damage, the angle is all wrong. She slides out from under the bed and crouches down beside the bed, her hands holding the gun resting on the side of the bed.

Jasper sees her movement in the side of his eye. "Get down," he hisses at her urgently.

She ducks her head down as far as it will go while in the dark Jasper stares daggers at her for not following his instructions.

They can hear the footsteps coming up the stairs and Eleanor's breath catches in her throat as she waits for the intruders to appear. She removes the safety catch, her heart pounding as she peers towards the door.

The door creaks open and a tall figure steps into the room. Eleanor doesn't hesitate but fires two shots in quick succession, hitting the man square in the middle of his body. At the same time Jasper fires three shots. In the moonlight Jasper signals with his hands to Eleanor to get down and this time she follows his instructions and presses herself against the floor behind the bed.

The man falls to the floor and Jasper almost jumps round behind him then runs towards the doorway. Eleanor hears another three shots and the sound is completely terrifying.

A minute later Jasper staggers back into the room and switches on the light. "They're dead but we have to go. We have to go NOW."

Eleanor blinks at the bright lights, the two bodies splayed on the floor and looks up at Jasper's figure silhouetted in the doorway.

"You're bleeding," she says, looking at his hand where she can see bright red blood.

"It's just a scratch," Jasper replies, brushing off her comments.

Eleanor is already pulling herself up from the floor and moving towards him. She takes his hand and turns it over. It's not going to be life threatening but his gunshot will need firm binding to stop the bleeding.

She runs to the bathroom and returns with two of the fresh white handtowels. She winds one around his hand, trying to ignore the way the white turns to crimson as the blood soaks into the fabric.

"Trust you to ignore my instructions," Jasper says to her as she does this, eyeballing her crossly. "Don't you know you could have been killed?"

"Always about the control, aren't we Jasper?" Eleanor replies, rolling her eyes. "Bet you didn't know I could fire a gun?"

She looks up at him, a smirk gracing her face. Jasper does not look amused.

"Hold that," she instructs him, placing his other hand on the towel as she moves to the curtains to extract the tie and then wraps it around the towel to hold it in place.

"Right," Jasper replies, electing not to spend any more time arguing with the Princess. "They know where we are which puts you in danger so we've got to go. Get your things."

Jasper grabs his bag and coat and stands waiting in the doorway while Eleanor gets her bag, taking a minute to stuff the few scattered possessions she has left in the room into it.

He starts down the stairs in a run with Eleanor following behind him, for once silent and obedient as she wonders where the hell they are going next.

 _Thanks for the previous reviews, yeah they are alive, for now anyway!_

 _Please review and let me know how you are liking the story. Thanks._


	12. Chapter 12

Jasper has his foot down on the accelerator and is doing his best to block out the dull but persistent pain in his hand from the gunshot wound.

"Where are we heading now?" Eleanor asks as they speed through the French countryside in a blur.

"That information is on a strictly need to know basis," Jasper replies.

He always insists on being so infuriatingly elusive.

"You spend your life acting like you're practicing to work for the fucking CIA. Honestly, I think that if I asked what your favourite sandwich is you would tell me that was classified information," Eleanor replies, rolling her eyes.

"That is classified information. Especially any mention of my favourite type of cheese," Jasper deadpans back, smirking slightly to himself.

Eleanor gives him a cross look and returns to staring out the window.

A few seconds later she shifts restlessly in her seat and starts fiddling with the radio, switching from station to station trying to find something she can at least listen to. She gives up disappointed a minute later.

Now she's leaning over from the passenger's side of the car to look at his hand and his face to check he's not in danger of collapsing. She's been doing this every couple of minutes and Jasper is finding it increasingly irritating.

"You know I could drive," Eleanor suggests as she considers Jasper's bandaged hand on the wheel.

"You know you can't drive," Jasper replies back, pointing out the one obvious flaw in her plan.

"I'm pretty sure I could figure it out, I mean how hard could it be?," Eleanor replies back confidently. Being a Princess means whenever she wants to try something, someone will normally let her do it, unless her bloody mother gets involved, that is.

Jasper's thoughts flash back to coming back to find her standing in front of the washing machine on their first night in France to find every button on the machine flashing while it makes an urgent beeping sound which makes him wonder if its going to explode.

"Like you worked out how to use the washing machine?" He asks, his mouth quirking.

"Yes," Eleanor nods sincerely. "That wasn't too difficult to work once I got the hang of it. I don't think it would take me too long to work out how to drive a car."

Driving down the motorway at 80 miles an hour with murderous thugs possibly in pursuit of them are hardly the ideal circumstances for a Princess with no driving license and no sense of boundaries to learn to drive.

Jasper tilts his head to the side. "Yeah, I'm going to say no to that idea," he replies gravely.

"Fine, have it your way then," Eleanor says huffily, turning her back to look out the window.

* * *

Dawn is breaking over the countryside when he finally pulls over, a red streak of light illuminating the black of night.

Now they're back on English soil once again, and he's still not sure whether he's doing the right thing or if he's crazy to be back here once again, closer to whoever is plotting to kill the Prince and Princess.

Eleanor's been asleep since before they reached Paris. He silently opens the car door and watches her for a moment, thinking that in her sleep she looks like everything a Princess ought to be.

Injured hand and all, he picks up the Princess like she's made of glass, trying not to wake her, lifts her to the door and taps the code into the keypad, then carries her inside and deposits her on the couch.

* * *

 _Man Jasper you're such a killjoy. I mean what's wrong with Eleanor terrorising the people of France by driving into things at 80 miles an hour?_


	13. Chapter 13

Eleanor's at a loose end the next morning. She's awake by 9am but when she pushes open the second of the bedroom doors she finds Jasper on top of the bed, still fully clothed and very much asleep.

She trails around the apartment, running her fingers across the kitchen benchtop, sighing to herself.

There's no TV, no internet, no bookcase and nothing to do here. She tries the front door but it won't open for her. Trust Jasper to lock her in like this. She hates being left to herself with no entertainment and no drugs and he knows it.

She moves around the flat, peering out of each of the windows, trying to work out where they are now. She can make out some shop names out of some of the windows and yes, they are definitely back in England now, but she can't tell what city this is.

She wonders if this is Jasper's flat. If it is it's awfully impersonal, with no photos or anything that gives away a clue about the identity of its owner, but then that would kind of fit with it being Jasper's, she supposes.

She gets up and goes to the kitchen cupboard, looking for something for breakfast. There's no bread but there is cereal. She opens the fridge but there is no milk, so she ends up having cornflakes with no milk and tea with no milk, which makes for a pretty crappy breakfast. When Jasper wakes she makes a mental note to complain to him about this and order him to get them some milk and some bread, an order which he probably won't appreciate.

Idle hands make trouble, as far as Eleanor's concerned. After breakfast, she goes back into the bedroom where Jasper is and lifts his wallet out of his coat and starts to sift through it.

She's done this once before at the Palace but it yielded no clues about his identity, but she thinks its worth another try. She spends a good ten minutes examining its contents but there is nothing that tells her anything more than she already knows about him, except she finds out his date of birth from his driver's license – the 12 November 1987. Also he has a VIP card for a London burger joint which is new, which makes her ponder if he really is American like he claims to be. She tucks the cards back into his wallet and slips back into his room to return it into his coat again.

She wanders back into the living room and decides to switch on the radio. She fiddles around with the stations only to find that the expose about Cyrus' exploits broke this morning.

"The allegations against King Cyrus include several crimes – perverting the course of justice, corruption, blackmail, extortion, rape and assault," the BBC radio presenter reads from her script.

"They also include details of sordid affairs involving both high profile men and women, numerous illegitimate bastards that Cyrus refuses to support, his various drug addictions, his attempts to bribe members of Parliament by organising sleazy drug fuelled orgies with prostitutes as well as evidence from several sources of the Princes' single minded lust for power and self-obsession."

"Joining us in the studio we have Constitutional Law Professor Doctor Ian Symes to discuss the implications of these allegations. Welcome Dr Symes."

"Thank you Liz."

"Doctor Symes, the allegations against King Cyrus include a number of illegal activities as well as some highly damaging allegations about the King's character, which raises the question of whether King Cyrus can continue to govern the country."

"Well, Liz, that is a good question. There are two issues to consider here. The first is that the Police have already said they will be investigating the allegations of illegal conduct contained in the story. If the allegations are proven and the King is found to have broken the law then it will be up to Parliament to decide whether he is able to continue in his current position. The other, perhaps more interesting question is whether the public will continue to accept the King in his present role. It has to be said that King Cyrus is not as well liked as the previous King who was widely respected by the public. If the King does not have the moral support of the British public to continue to reign then Parliament could also move to have him disestablished from his position."

"And Princess Penelope would take over as Queen following this."

"Yes, well according to the laws of succession the Princess is the next in line to the throne, given that Prince Liam who was the heir apparent and Princess Eleanor have been declared illegitimate. I guess what we need to remember with the Princess' upbringing is that she is only 20 and was never raised to be Queen. Of course everyone expected Prince Robert to be the next King and so Princess Penelope has not been widely educated as we would expect the Monarch to be. And frankly both of the York Princesses struggled at school, with Penelope only passing half her A levels, which does raise questions about her suitability as a future Queen. I would also like to throw a small spanner in the mix here, in that, ultimately it is up to Parliament to ratify the monarch's succession. And there have been cases in the past where Parliament has appointed another heir. Take for example the case of James the Second who was the legitimate heir and was King for three years before Parliament deposed him and placed his daughter and her husband on the throne. Or Charles the First who was deposed and killed by Parliament and eventually replaced by his son after Parliament governed in the interim."

"So all in all, we can expect a tumultuous few months ahead then David?"

"Yes indeed Liz, constitutionally, we are in a somewhat unprecedented situation. May we live in interesting times, as the Chinese would say."

Eleanor shakes her head in disgust. If Penelope or Maribel start running the country everyone's going to think the English must drop babies on their heads to toughen them up, because who would be that retarded naturally? And also, the outfits they wear make them look like cross dressing drag queens.

She's thrown herself on the couch while she examines her nails, and has zoned out of listening to the radio because now they're discussing gardening tips which is slightly less interesting than watching paint dry. She's thinking about whether she should wake Jasper up – well she knows that she should really let him sleep, but if she wakes him then she could use his phone and watch a video or maybe if she's really lucky they might get to leave the house. Or if not then she could seduce him, ha, that would be a good plan, and it would certainly keep her occupied, she thinks, smirking to herself.

"We're crossing to our newsroom now with some breaking news. Liam Henstridge, formerly known as Prince Liam, has been admitted to hospital in Scotland and is in a critical condition. The Prince was admitted with gunshot wounds in an incident in which one of the Prince's security personnel was also killed."

Eleanor is fully alert now, pulling herself upright as she listens to the radio.

"Details of how the Prince was injured are not known but we will bring you any further updates as they come to hand."

Eleanor sits on the couch, her body tense with shock at the news that her twin has been seriously injured.

The radio station returns to discussing gardening.

"Summer planting, who cares about fucking summer planting," Eleanor repeats to herself, as she puts her head in her hands.

After a moment she scrambles to the radio, turning the dial as she looks for other stations.

"Did you touch my wallet?" Jasper is awake now and standing in the doorway, his eyebrows raised.

Eleanor ignores him and keeps fiddling with the dial.

"Well?" Jasper asks, looking irritated that she hasn't bothered to acknowledge him or turn around.

"Liam's been shot," Eleanor replies sharply. "He's in hospital in Scotland and I think Marcus is dead."

She's stopped shifting the dial but still hasn't turned around to face him. Jasper now has his eyes off his wallet and on her, taking in the way she is leaning on the kitchen bench as if she needs its support to keep her upright.

She turns around to face him.

"They said he's in critical condition. He could die - I have to go and see him," she has her hand on her mouth and her voice breaks. He knows that tears are not far away but he can't let her talk him into putting herself in danger.

He's known since last night about this but he decided not to tell Eleanor, even though she may hate him forever over this. She's lost her older brother and her father already and hearing that her remaining brother is fighting for her life is either going to break her or cause her to do something stupid. What she's just said is what he suspected she would say that she insists on seeing Liam which is exactly what Cyrus will want and expect.

So instead he has been waiting and hoping that they get the news that Liam is out of danger and then he could tell Eleanor without her falling apart or putting herself in danger to see Liam.

"He's getting better and you can't go and see him," Jasper's voice is firm and controlled. "That's exactly what Cyrus will expect and he'll have his men waiting for you."

He won't let her serve herself up to be killed by him.

Eleanor stares at Jasper. "You knew," she says accusingly. "You knew and you didn't tell me."

Jasper doesn't deny it. "You can't go to him, it's too dangerous," he says instead.

Eleanor is struck by a new and terrible thought. "What if Cyrus's men get to him at the hospital? He'll be a sitting duck if Marcus isn't there to protect him," her voice catches in her throat and now the tears are sliding down her face and she can't breathe properly.

"They won't," Jasper replies. He made a call last night to a colleague at MI5 requesting they station four men to guard the Prince. It's a risk because he's still not completely sure if there are any insiders working for Cyrus, but it's the best he can do to try to protect the Prince.

He wants to comfort Eleanor and hold her, but she is glaring at him in between sobs, and he will probably just earn himself a slap if he tries.

"You shit," she spits out, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I can't believe Liam could have died, could still die and you kept it from me. He's my twin for God's sake – he's part of me."

She stalks into his room and lifts his phone from the bedside. "What's the password?" she demands.

"You can't phone Liam," Jasper answers back. "They could trace you to here."

"I'm know that, you told me that already," Eleanor snaps back. "I just want to look at the reports on the internet and see if there's any more about what happened and how he is."

"1894," Jasper says.

Eleanor sits down on the bed and types the code in then searches for her brother's name in news.

"Former Prince fights for his life," the headline screams on the Daily Mail website.

Jasper is saying something but she's not listening as she desperately scans the news story.

Silently, Jasper appears over her shoulder, shaking his head as he peers at the phone.

"You know they deliberately make it sound as bad as they can to make it more dramatic. It's all about selling papers to them, that's not an accurate report of what's actually happened."

Eleanor eyeballs him, glaring. "Maybe you're right but the only way to get an accurate report is by visiting the hospital and speaking to his doctors which you won't let me do. So right now news reports are all I have to go on."

Her voice drops as she reads on. "It is Marcus that was killed, isn't it?" asks Eleanor.

Jasper nods. "He didn't deserve to die so young," his voice is sombre.

"He was a good friend to Liam. I can't believe they got him," the tears are sliding down her face and her mascara starts to run.

Jasper sits down on the bed and puts his hand over hers. "Your brother is a serious condition but he's been improving over the past few hours. When its safe I'll take you to see him but not before that. Princess I have to keep you safe, and its not just you anymore either, we have to think about the baby too."

Eleanor unwillingly takes her eyes away from the phone to look at Jasper. Why is he always doing this to her, she wonders. She still doesn't know whether to ignore him or trust him, to stay with him or escape or to love him or hate him.

She throws herself down on the bed and turns away from him. "Fine," she says. "But don't try and talk me out of caring about my brother or worrying about him being shot."

Jasper leans over and kisses her on the forehead, and she is too surprised by this to protest. A minute later she hears the door softly shutting as Jasper exits the room.

* * *

 _Jasper kissing Eleanor on the forehead is actually Jasper code for "I love you," but unfortunately Eleanor is not literate in Jasper code. Maybe we should start some kind of fundraising campaign to send her on a correspondence course on what Jasper does and what is actually means._

 _Interestingly, Jasper is highly literate in Eleanor code (see for example when they are in the church (chapter 9 I think) and he works out what she means when she says she doesn't want to be a Princess) but I guess that comes of being a spy and being able to figure out what people are thinking and also having to watch her 24/7 while he was her bodyguard._


	14. Chapter 14

Jasper is at the local shops, stocking up on supplies. All the while as he peruses the shelves, he's forming a plan in his head.

Now that the news about Cyrus' past has broken, it seems likely he will be arrested for any one or more of a wide array of his crimes.

But Jasper is no fool. He knows that it will take time for the Police to investigate the evidence and build a case and when it comes to the Prince and Princess, if there are paid assassins after them, time is not a luxury he can afford.

So he'll have to step things up a notch here. He doesn't intend to let Eleanor in on what he's planning. She doesn't need to know there's blood on his hands and he doesn't want to add to the list of things she will worry about.

When he gets back to the house he finds Eleanor has showered and is curled up on the couch, doing apparently nothing. She is wearing the last of her creations that actually fits her - a black mini skirt and purple tank top. The skirt has ridden up almost to her knicker line. He found her distracting enough in what she was wearing this morning but this is even worse for him.

She sits up when he arrives.

"Did you hear any more about Liam?" she questions.

"Not since this morning," Jasper replies. "But you have to remember that no news is good news, it means his condition isn't getting worse."

Eleanor considers this, and then nods, accepting his line of reasoning. "You'll tell me if you hear anything though right?" she asks.

"Right," Jasper replies, moving to start unpacking the groceries.

Eleanor is hungry and bored and she finds herself drawn to the kitchen, where she starts rustling the grocery bags to see what he's brought. She's hoping there's chocolate in there somewhere.

"You know that I'm still mad at you for not telling me about Liam," Eleanor says, to clarify that even if she does find chocolate, she hasn't forgiven him yet.

This was already quite clear to him. "Yeah, I'm getting that," Jasper replies.

He unpacks the final bag and extracts two bars of chocolate.

He watches in amusement as Eleanor's face lights up like a child who's just woken up on Christmas morning.

"Is one of those for me?" she asks, her eyes fixed on his hand.

He's badly tempted to tell her that she can have the chocolate if she gives him a kiss, because every time he looks at her, he wants her. He wants to do a lot of things to her, but he's fighting to control his desires, and just be her bodyguard and keep her safe.

Eleanor's a volatile mix of fire and ice and she's always had a tendency towards combustion. He knows that it would be a mistake to do anything to ignite her, because it's a short step from giving in to desire, to giving into other emotions to a total breakdown. If he can control himself, she has a better chance of keeping it together right now. And he needs her as calm as possible to get her through the next few days alive.

So instead he tells her to take it and walks into his bedroom.

Fifteen minutes later he emerges, dressed in a suit which conceals two guns. He tells Eleanor he's going out but not where to. Before he leaves the house he takes the radio because he doesn't want her winding herself up over any more news reports when he's not there. Then he checks the locks are all secure so that she can't escape and closes the door softly behind him.

* * *

"You again! Didn't you scurry out of the country several weeks ago?" Cyrus brows knot together as he regards him as if he was an unsightly stain on an otherwise pristine suit.

Jasper looks around the King's private apartments, taking in the garish clash of purple and red furnishings and lavish use of gold and marble. As he expected there is nothing understated or refined about the King's tastes.

"It must be quite a shock to find I'm still alive considering the orders to kill both me and the Princess presumably came from you," Jasper replies, standing his ground as Cyrus advances towards him.

Cyrus smirks back at him. "You may very well think that, but I couldn't possibly comment."

Cyrus moves to pour himself a drink. "So tell me has my whore of an ex niece managed to narrow down a potential list of fathers for her bastard spawn to a short list from the wide range of possibilities?" he asks, swirling the wine in the glass before taking a sip.

Jasper's jaw tightens and Cyrus raises an eyebrow knowingly.

"Oh, now don't tell me you're on the list? How very cliched."

"There's only one name on the list, which makes it about a thousand times shorter than the list of people who would like you dead, _your majesty,_ " Jasper adds the last line with mocking deference.

Cyrus smiles and shrugs, "Better to be bad than boring, I say."

"Let's cut the small talk. I'm here to tell you that you need to call off whoever you've told to kill the Prince and the Princess if you value your life." Jasper's voice is soft and low and deadly serious.

"Is that a threat?" Cyrus replies back, as his temper starts to rise.

"You can it that if you like, I'd prefer to call it a fact," Jasper replies back, his face giving nothing away.

Cyrus advances on Jasper and whispers in his face. "Well let me tell you, boy, that the King of England does not listen to empty threats from nobodies. So you can take yourself off and scurry back to your slutty ex Princess right now and don't come back here again."

Jasper eyeballs the Prince right back and pulls himself taller upright. "As you wish your majesty."

Jasper turns towards the door and opens the doors, then turns back towards the King, his hands resting on the door knobs. He leans back against the door and says in a voice full of casual menace. "Oh and before I go here's another fact for you. You picked the wrong nobody to cross."

With that he exits the room, leaving the King glaring at doors left swinging from his unwelcome visitor.


	15. Chapter 15

_Thanks for all the reviews. To everyone who wanted more about Eleanor being pregnant or "pregnancy fluff" yes this is in the pipeline and will be part of the story but not yet, so stay tuned!_

Jasper's visit to the Palace was as much reconnaissance as a warning to the King and it has served to confirm several things.

One. Cyrus is not going to let the Prince and Princess escape with their lives. Jasper likes to think that he's a fair man. Cyrus has had his chance and he won't take the easy road. Whatever happens Jasper has vowed to protect the Princess with his life, and he will protect Prince Liam because he doesn't think Eleanor can take another blow right now. So as far as Jasper's concerned its game on.

Two. None of the locations of the security cameras have changed.

Three. The access codes into and out of the Palace are still the same.

Four. He wasn't kidding when he said there was lot of people wanting to kill Cyrus because he's been making a list.

* * *

It's 2.30pm now and two days after they've arrived in London they're now half way to Scotland.

Jasper's mind isn't on the drive because right now, the current King of England should be on the receiving end of a bullet to his brain.

Jasper doesn't like to think of his role in the plot as being an assassin, more like a _facilitator._ He likes that term. He didn't pull the trigger or even load the bullets. He merely provided the necessary security details, camera locations, access codes to one of the long list of enemies the new King has made in his monumentally short reign. Pure facilitation.

He sits back and smiles as he surveys the lush countryside around him. Nice day for a drive he thinks to himself.

* * *

By the time they reach Durham, while he can appreciate she's anxious to see her brother, Eleanor's line of questioning is starting to drive him nuts.

"How long until we get there?"

"Three hours maybe," Jasper replies. "We'll have to stop overnight somewhere near Perth."

"I don't want to stop I want to keep going."

"You know the hospital won't let you visit in the middle of the night," Jasper replies. He doesn't want her throwing a tantrum when they get there on finding out this news so its better to tell her this now.

She opens her mouth to argue that they would because she's a Princess and Princesses get what they want, but then she remembers she's not anything anymore. "Ok, but I still don't want to stop," Eleanor replies stubbornly.

Ten minutes later. "Are we nearly there yet?"

"I said three hours still only ten minutes ago."

Eleanor sighs heavily.

When they reach the next town. "How many miles until we get there?"

He's not used to travelling with small children, but he imagines this is exactly what it's like. He supposes it could be considered practice for when they're parents.

"Here have the map, you work out how many miles until we get there," Jasper tosses the map at her, his patience is wearing thin.

Eleanor traces her hand over the map following the lines of the motorway's path.

"170 miles still," Eleanor calculates.

"Are we going via Edinburgh, that's the fastest route?," she wants to know.

"Yes, I worked that out," Jasper replies, his hands clenching on the wheel. "Thanks to excellence of my education I am actually able to read a map."

"How fast are we going? Maybe we would get there faster if I drove," Eleanor pipes up.

He is going to classify this last comment as totally insane. "If you drove we would never get there at all except possibly in a body bag because you can't drive, remember?"

"I could learn," Eleanor replies back, jutting out her chin stubbornly. "It would break up the drive."

"Yeah and quite likely break up the car," Jasper replies. "Anyway, I don't want to discuss the route or the drive anymore, find something else to occupy you."

The something else she finds to do is to hijack Jasper's phone now she knows the password and find out what the latest news is on Cyrus' fall from grace. Jasper makes a mental note to reset his password again so she doesn't have free reign on his phone because there are things on there he doesn't want her to find out.

Eleanor's on to the BBC website when the breaking news bar pops up with the news that Cyrus has been assassinated and she reports this to Jasper breathlessly.

"Oh my god, they're saying that someone shot Cyrus at around 3pm today and he was taken to hospital and died at 4pm. Who do you think killed him, do you think it was the same person who killed Dad?"

Jasper's cool, calm and collected in his reply. "Cyrus made a lot of enemies, I imagine there's a number of people who would want him removed from his position."

"Yes, I suppose so. I can't say I'm sorry that he's dead but I hope it was quick and that he didn't suffer," Eleanor replies, her eyebrows knotted together.

Jasper knows it was. "Sounds like he died pretty soon after the attack."

Eleanor sits back in her seat as she comes to terms with what this means.

She's been staring at the back of Jasper's head for several minutes before she finally comes out with it.

"Jasper, you didn't have anything to do with Cyrus' attack did you?"

"Baby I've been right here with you the whole afternoon," he says, adopting his most innocent expression as he meets her eyes in the mirror.

She looks slightly guilty and he's satisfied he's got her fooled. "Ok, yes, I'm sorry."

* * *

 _On the road again and it turns out they're not good together on roadtrips (again), but I think I've said before that I like it when they argue._


	16. Chapter 16

Hooked up to a ventilator with several tubes and wires coming out of his body, Liam looks pale and his hair is mussed like a small boy. Seeing him look so vulnerable and still makes Eleanor's heart catch.

She spends fifteen minutes grilling his doctor on what's wrong with him and on his prognosis and she won't let him go until he's repeated three times that he's confident that Liam will pull through with time.

Eleanor spends all of her spare time at the hospital sitting by her twin's bedside. She doesn't think Liam would appreciate flowers so she brings him a toy racing car to sit on his bedside table because, at heart, her brother has the same interests as an eight year old boy.

Surprise surprise her mother doesn't make an appearance until three days after he's been in hospital and even then she spends more time fixing her makeup at Liam's bedside than paying attention to him.

Ophelia puts in an appearance before the Queen does and she and Eleanor spend a lot of time sitting in Liam's room together or in the hospital café where Ophelia complains about the terrible coffee. Through all this time Jasper has appointed himself chief bodyguard once more and stands silently at Liam's door, with his arms crossed, carefully inspecting the paperwork of every nurse and doctor before they are allowed to enter the room. With him there are another two security officers, one on the other side of the doorway and another inside Liam's room.

On the fifth day, Liam actually opens his eyes and Ophelia and Eleanor are so happy they both kiss him on the cheek several times while Liam looks back at them with an expression of dazed confusion.

They both stand over him, talking excitedly for several minutes before the nurse tells him they need to calm down. Suitably chastened they sit down at his bedside like naughty school girls who've been told off for talking in the school library. When the nurse leaves they start whispering to Liam and each other, but its not long before Liam drifts back off to sleep again.

An hour later the Queen comes in and deigns to rest her hand on Liam's forehead for five minutes then leaves again, announcing she has to return to London now.

In the outside world, the country is preparing for Penelope's coronation and a few days ago, at Liam's bedside Eleanor wouldn't have cared if she was crowned Queen, so long as her brother lived.

Knowing that Liam is getting better is a huge relief and with Ophelia by his side, Eleanor finally feels like she can now spend her time working to right the wrong her brother has suffered. Jasper still won't leave her by herself at the hotel because he says that while he thinks they're no longer at risk, he can't afford to take any chances.

Her plan requires several days preparation, and Jasper sits at the hotel dining table helping her with her plans and giving her advice on security arrangements. Every day at 10am she visits Liam at the hospital and it makes her happy to see him grow stronger with each passing day.

Eleanor's not good at thank yous, and she's not quite sure how to say to Jasper what she feels because through every thing he has supported and guided her, advised her and protected her.

The next afternoon, Eleanor deposits a gift bag on the kitchen table. Jasper gives it a brief glance and then ignores it, assuming it's a present for Liam in the morning.

Eleanor has been watching him expectantly as he moves around the kitchen getting them a drink, and after a minute her patience is wearing thin.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Eleanor asks impatiently.

"What?" Jasper questions.

"The present," Eleanor replies, pointing to the table. "It's for you."

"Oh, I thought it was for Liam."

Eleanor shakes her head and shifts from one foot to the other as he makes his way to the table.

He lifts up the bag and extracts a teddy bear dressed up in a leather waistcoat, trousers, cowboy hat and bandana tied around his neck. In his hands are two guns.

"Now pull the cord on his back and he'll say inappropriate things," Eleanor instructs.

Jasper does as he's told to and two guns fire in quick succession as the teddy stamps his feet on the floor. "This town ain't big enough for the both of us," the teddy booms in John Wayne's voice.

Eleanor leaps forward and tugs at the cord again.

"Yeehah, prepare the whores and the booze, we're gonna have a party cowboy."

She gives the cord another tug and the teddy shoots his guns again. "Partner, you'll find it hard to talk so smart mouthed with a couple of bullets in your back."

Eleanor is grinning back at him, her eyes alight with mischievous delight.

"Do you like him? I couldn't find anything Las Vegas themed here so I thought a gunslinger was the next best thing."

"Yeah, this bear and I think a lot alike. I could use some of his lines at work you know," he replies back solemnly with a twinkle in his eyes.

"He's a thank you present," says Eleanor, moving over to Jasper, and taking his hand, "for everything you've done for Liam and I over the past couple of weeks."

Eleanor isn't normally reserved but she feels lost for words right now, because Jasper has saved her life more than once over the past month and the bear and her words just don't seem adequate in light of how much she owes him. And the way he is looking back at her makes her breath catch in her throat and she feels suddenly shy.

Jasper's lifts his hand to pull her close into him when the door bangs and Ophelia arrives back from the hospital.

They spring apart like guilty schoolchildren and Ophelia suppresses a smile and moves to the counter to unload the groceries. When she turns around again, Eleanor is casually flipping through a magazine on the kitchen bench and Jasper is securing the locks on the front door again.

Ophelia isn't stupid and looks from one to the other, smirking. "No excitement here today then?"

"Nothing."

"None at all," they both reply back hastily.

"Right," Ophelia replies back, doubtfully. "How do you feel about pasta for dinner then?"

"Love it."

"Sounds great," they both reply back in unison.

Ophelia reaches into the cupboard to find a chopping board and unpacks some vegetables as Eleanor comes into the kitchen to see if she can help.

Seriously, Ophelia thinks to herself, she's going to give these two a couple of days to get it together and then she's not adverse to doing some meddling matchmaking all in the name of true love.


	17. Chapter 17

_Every time I feel my heart beat  
That's when I know you're around  
Could you be what I've been after  
Or more precise, my disaster_

The next morning by 9am, Ophelia has already upped and left for the hospital but there's still no sign of Eleanor.

If she were at the Palace it would be normal for her not to make an appearance after a night of drink, drugs and partying until around midday, but now she's not on anything she's should be up by now.

Jasper makes for her room and finds Eleanor prostrate in bed with her hand resting on her forehead.

"Everything alright?" he questions, moving over to stand by her bed.

Eleanor opens her eyes and blinks up at Jasper. He has this way of silently appearing unannounced that is quite unnerving. Wherever he grew up, it must have been somewhere where knocking on doors was a foreign concept.

"I feel dreadful," she complains, looking sorry for herself.

Jasper looks her over and she doesn't look great. Her face is pale and clammy. He puts a hand on her forehead but there's no sign of fever.

"You haven't taken anything have you?" he questions. Back at the Palace the cause of Eleanor being ill was invariably whatever she had taken the night before. He wouldn't put it past her to ask Ophelia to get her some contraband items.

"If you'll remember I have nothing to take since you decided to flush all the good stuff down the toilet," Eleanor points out, looking at him resentfully.

"Yeah, I do remember. It had to be done – can't have you downing random drug cocktails when you're pregnant," he replies back, his voice brisque and businesslike as he pulls back the curtains.

Eleanor would like to argue back just to annoy him but he does kind of have a point and she just feels too awful to put the required effort in.

"Seriously I think I might be about to vomit up last night's dinner," she says and two seconds later the bile starts to rise in her throat.

She flings back the bed covers and heads for the bathroom, bending over the toilet bowl. Waves of nausea roll over her leaving her feeling shaky and weak but she doesn't actually end up vomiting, even though her stomach heaves several times. It takes a few minutes to pass and then she leans against the bathroom wall feeling too exhausted to move and runs a clammy hand over her forehead.

Jasper has been standing in the bathroom door and comes over to her and kneels down beside her. "You ok now baby?" he asks, putting his hand around her shoulders. "I think that must be morning sickness," he adds.

Eleanor rolls her head to look his way but she doesn't have the strength to try to get up yet. "Yeah," she agrees, her voice strained. "What a bitch though. I don't want to have to do that every morning."

"You shouldn't have to Princess," Jasper replies back, brushing her hair back from her face. She thinks about correcting him and telling him she's not a Princess anymore but the way he says it sounds like an endearment. "I'm sure there's something you can take to make it better, I'll see what I can find out," he adds.

She slides up against the bathroom wall and when she's halfway to her feet before she can pull herself together anymore, Jasper picks her up in his arms and carries her back to her bedroom with an ease that suggests he's done this a dozen times before. Perhaps he has because she often woke up in her bedroom at the Palace with no recollection of how the night ended or how she arrived home.

When they reach her room he should put her down. But now that his Eleanor is back in his arms after so long he finds he can't let her go. Jasper's hand on the hollow of her back and Eleanor's hand is locked tight around his neck, with her other hand clutching at Jasper's shirt. The heat from his body seeps into her through the thin camisole and shorts she is wearing and she can feel his heartbeat against her cheek.

Eventually he decides he has to put her down on the bed, but he'll be dammed if he's letting her go.

Jasper's eyes flash dark with desire and he follows her down onto the bed, laying on top of her and strokes her dark hair. "I've missed you. I've missed everything about you," he breathes into her ear. He's spent the past month running for his life just to protect her. He never thought he would believe in love, but she has heart so entirely he thinks he'll never get it back from her. And right now he wants her so much its pure torture.

Eleanor is perfectly beautiful, spoiled, wilfill, reckless, headstrong and rebellious, but she's also brave, intelligent, loyal, and when she lets her guard down vulnerable and sweet. She's far from perfect, but he wouldn't change a thing about her, because she's his princess.

"I've missed you too -," Eleanor replies and anything else she has to say is lost against his mouth on hers. This time there is no one to interrupt them.


	18. Chapter 18

"Give us a smile."

"How's Liam doing?"

"Look over here Princess."

"How do you feel about Penelope becoming Queen?"

On this gloomy London morning behind the thin table she is seated at, the view in front of her is daunting and the stream of questions keep coming. A sea of cameras and videos and microphones greets her along with the inquisitive faces of nearly 100 members of the Press. She's done interviews before but she's never had to front a press conference before today.

With the media it's a matter of taking control or being eaten alive and she's no shrinking violet. She takes a deep breath and decides its time to begin.

"Thank you for coming today, I'm sure you're all busy people. I wanted to speak to you all about an issue concerning my brother Liam and I."

"As you will be aware Liam has been in hospital for the past two weeks but I'm pleased to be able to tell you that he is recovering well and his doctors are confident he'll be up and about within the next week or two."

She pauses and gives the room a dazzling smile and there is nothing artificial about it because thats the way being able to repeat Liam's doctor's words makes her feel.

"With me here I have Doctor William Holt an eminent Harley Street physician," she gestures to the middle aged bald headed man on her left, "and Doctor Daniel McIntyre, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians," the handsome young Doctor in his 30s to her right nods his head.

"My mother and brother and I asked Dr Holt and Dr McIntyre to retest the paternity test results my brother and I received around a month ago. The tests indicated that King Simon was not our real father."

"Those test results have now been returned and the results confirmed by both doctors and I will ask them to speak about the results now."

Dr Holt leans forward towards the microphone holding a white piece of paper and clears his throat, "The test results indicate the genetic markers bourne by Liam Henstridge show that his father was King Simon, and of course his mother was Queen Helena. So Liam Hemstridge is the legitimate son of the late King."

This announcement sets the room is abuzz with journalistic chatter, and it is almost a full minute before the doctor is able to continue.

"I would ask Dr McIntyre to confirm his findings from an examination of the test results," Dr Holt finishes and looks over to his colleague.

"I concur with Dr Holts' findings. I would add that we also commissioned a second test which both I and Dr Holt examined which validated this test result."

Dr Holt picks up a second piece of paper and starts speaking again, "And now regarding the test results for Eleanor Henstridge. The results found that while she was the daughter of Queen Helena she is not the child of the late King Simon."

Again the doctor has to pause as the chatter flares up at this announcement.

He resumes speaking after a moment. "I would ask my colleague Dr McIntyre to confirm this result."

"I confirm both my review of the first test result and the separate paternity test we separately commissioned returned the same result confirming that Eleanor Henstridge is not the child of the late King Simon."

Both Doctors have finished speaking and look towards Eleanor.

"Thank you doctors, we could take a few questions." She knows she's going to have to try to control this otherwise things could get wildly out of control.

A hundred arms are up in the air and people start yelling at her from every corner of the room.

"You there, the hot guy with the red tie," she points back to a suave young journalist with a microphone and cameraman beside him.

There is a burst of laughter and several of the man's colleague congratulate him on his new title.

Eleanor doesn't turn around but standing behind her at the back of the room, her bodyguard's face forms into a scowl.

"Thank you Princess, ah -," he replies, and then pauses, looking confused.

Eleanor picks up on his confusion. "Eleanor is fine. Please continue."

"Yes, thank you Eleanor - my question was for the doctors. I wondered how it is possible for the test results to show that the twins have different fathers?"

Doctor Holt nods and leans forward. "Yes, it is quite possible for this result to occur. In the case of identical twins they will always have the same father as they were conceived from a single embryo which has split into two during gestation. However non identical twins, such as the case here, are born from two embryos being separately fertilised so it is quite possible for non identical twins to have different fathers. There are a number of cases of this occurring."

"Thank you doctor," Eleanor adds. "And now another question – lets hear from you," she points at a fresh faced young female reporter in the front row with her hand in the air. "Excellent taste in handbags by the way," she adds, noting the journalist has the same bag she herself purchased this spring.

"Thank you, I spent half my month's wages on it but it was worth it," the journalist smiles back at her, blushing. "Can you tell us whether you think the plans for Penelope's coronation should be shelved now?"

Eleanor knows the legal answer to this but she chooses to go with the moral response.

"With the test results confirming that my brother Liam is King Simon's son he should rightfully be King. Liam is the best brother and he would make an awesome King. He is intelligent and principled and like my Dad he would spend every day trying to do his best for the ordinary people of Britain. I hope everyone will recognise his claim to the throne and support him as King."

At the mention of her Dad, Eleanor's voice cracks a little bit, but she collects herself and then looks back into the crowd.

"Final question – you in the blue shirt with the stripy tie," she points to an older man with BBC radio on his microphone.

"Yes, Eleanor how do you feel about the test results and do you plan to continue to make public appearances in the future?"

Eleanor has to consider her response for a moment because she wants to make sure she can convey how she feels about King Simon correctly. "Even though the test results came back to indicate the King isn't my biological father, in my heart he was a father to me. He was a great man and a great Dad and I miss him every day."

The tears start to pool in her eyes and she can feel Jasper discreetly move his hand onto her back which helps her continue.

"As for whether I plan to continue making public appearances the short answer to that is no, which I guess is bad news for the tabloids," Eleanor replies, and the audience starts to laugh.

"So basically I will be retiring from Royal life because I'm not a Royal anymore and I was never really that good at acting like a Princess anyway so the paparazzi amongst you will need to find someone else to stalk to pay your bills, " Eleanor finishes, then decides to wrap things up.

"That's it, folks. Thanks for coming," she stands up and the doctors on either side of her do the same. Journalists are still waving their hands in the air and shouting questions at her but now Jasper is by her side, taking her arm and guiding her brusquely from the room and out the door into a waiting vehicle. The doctors disappear off through another entrance.

Eleanor sits back in her seat feeling exhausted. "I can't believe we pulled it off."

"You did well," Jasper replies and Eleanor feels a warm glow of achievement because Jasper has never been effusive with false compliments.

"It was a good idea to take those two doctors out of the expose on Cyrus," Eleanor says, looking back at Jasper. She wants to hold his hand but he is driving so she settles for resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yep," Jasper replies. "People will say anything to keep their names out of the tabloids."

Eleanor stretches her hands out in front of her to illustrate the imaginary headline, "Coke fuelled gay sex romp in the Palace gardens would have been one of the more interesting Daily Mail headlines though."

Jasper lets out a brief snort of laughter and Eleanor slinks back into her seat once more.

"You never told me what you said to get your mother to go along with this," Jasper questions.

"Oh well, you know, I told her she owed me for letting Cyrus put me and Liam through the whole fake paternity thing in the first place. And I might have told her that I was going to tell the Press I got knocked up after one of many, many debauched evenings that resulted in me not being exactly sure who the father was but having a suspicion it might be a Las Vegas grifter masquerading as the help."

Jasper smirks to himself. "I approve."

"Yes I didn't think she would appreciate the idea of Las Vegas grifter genes polluting the Royal offspring," Eleanor adds.

"Too late for that already baby, grifter genes are first class swimmers" Jasper replies back and leans over to kiss her as they pull up at the lights.

 _Please review and let me know if you are still enjoying the story. Thanks._


	19. Chapter 19

It is the finality of the end date beside her father's name that breaks her.

King Simon

1 March 1963 – 29 May 2015.

It hits her like a physical pain and she clutches the nearby pew for support. A moment later Jasper is by her side settling her into bench, and his touch feels warm and alive against her pale skin which is suddenly as ice cold as the stone her father's effigy is carved from.

She had this idea in her head that she needed to come here to St George's Chapel at Windsor and see her father to make amends for the lie she's told today and for not being able to come to his funeral.

She been here for a good fifteen minutes now but being here doesn't remove the sense of guilt she feels for having told the world he's not her father when she was as wayward a daughter as there could ever be and he was still best father she could have asked for.

Jasper is sitting two rows behind her and watches as Eleanor stands and turns towards the door. He silently wills her not to turn or look to the west wall where another tombstone commemorates her older brother Prince Robert.

 _Don't do it. Know your limits_ , he wants to say to her, but Eleanor turns, the shafts of sunlight glinting copper in her hair and makes straight for his memorial. She runs her fingers over the edging of his name and stands for a minute there. She makes her way back to the door and Jasper can see the way her eyes are watery and her eyeshadow has smudges in it.

Comforting another human being is not something Jasper's either used to or skilled at but he'll make an exception for Eleanor (she is always his exception).

He pulls her into him and they stand there in the doorway frozen in time, her cheek against his shoulder and his hand on her hair. It's impossible to stem this flood of tears and if it weren't for Jasper holding her upright while she shakes and weeps for the loss of her father and brother Eleanor would be on her knees.

"Everything you've done today was for your brother and for our baby," Jasper is speaking in a low voice in her ear. "You supported Liam to get the throne back when he was in hospital and couldn't speak for himself. You've given our child a chance to have a better life, a normal life away from the paparazzi and the politics." He sounds so certain of himself that she wants to believe him.

"Your father would understand why you did this because what he wanted most of all was for you and Liam to be happy."

Eleanor wonders with a start how Jasper knows so exactly what her father has said to her so often in private and then she remembers that he has probably heard him say that a dozen times as he stood silently outside the door.

She has cried all her tears she has in her and its only now that she can pull away from him and pull herself upright, remembering that even if she doesn't have a title anymore she was still born a Princess.

Jasper stretches out his hand and she tucks her hand into his, and they walk out into the light, both silent and exhausted.

* * *

They arrive back at the apartment and eat takeaway and watch Eleanor on the news, for the last time Eleanor thinks in her head with relief.

Tomorrow, Eleanor wants to head back to Scotland to see Liam again. She wants to tell him that he will be King herself.

"You never told me if this was your apartment," Eleanor asks, idly waiving her fork in the air after she's finished the last of her noodles.

She asked him that question last time they were here and he gave her some bullshit, non-committal, totally Jasperlike response which never answered her question.

This time, Jasper sits back in the couch opposite her and places his hand on his chin pensively for a full minute, then abrubtly stands up deciding its time to tell her and she probably won't believe him unless he shows her.

"You asked me why I was at the Palace. If you want to know the real reason I'm here, then come with me now."

Eleanor stares back at him blankly. "Ok," she says, after she's gathered her thoughts. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Jasper reverses back then puts the car into a ridiculously tight u turn to get out of the narrow street the car was parked in and then they're off to wherever. Eleanor likes London by dusk. The commuting traffic has disappeared and they pass joggers out for an evening run, people walking their dogs and businessmen making their way home. After nearly a month on the continent it feels reassuringly normal to be back in the city she grew up in.

The whole time she's known him, Jasper been annoyingly, compulsively secretive and elusive about his past and motives and the thought that she might actually find out why he was at the Palace in the first place has her almost holding her breath the whole journey.

After 30 minutes Jasper pulls into the basement of a huge stone building and parks the car. They get out and Jasper is off towards the main entrance while Eleanor follows behind. From the front she definitely recognises the building from somewhere but she can't place what it is – a government office perhaps?

Jasper swipes a card and then enters a code and they enter through the front door. Jasper heads for the main elevator and swipes his card again to access the sixth floor.

There's more security at the entrance to the floor and he taps a code into the key pad and then switches on the lights to reveal what seems to Eleanor a perfectly normal office building.

"Where are we?" Eleanor asks, turning around in a circle to see if there are any more clues in her surroundings.

"This is MI5 HQ and I work as an intelligence agent."

"So you're a spy?" Eleanor questions, disbelief filling her voice. He's told her so many lies in the past its hard to credit that what he's telling her is the truth.

"Yes."

"I've been working for MI5 for five years now. About six months ago we were getting intel on a possible threat to the Royal family. When the death of Prince Robert occurred that threat became very real and I was placed undercover as your security detail to gather intelligence and boost the protection for yourself as well as keep an eye on Prince Liam as the next in line to the throne. We -"

"So everything was a lie? I was just a job for you and what happened between us was part of that lie?," Eleanor interrupts him, angrily.

Jasper sighs and moves towards Eleanor but she swats him away angrily and stares at him, arms crossed.

"Nothing was supposed to happen between us. That was never part of the plan," he says, turning away from her to look out the window at the view of the Thames and the city.

He's dropped the American accent now and for some reason she doesn't like the change.

Eleanor knows what it means to be a spy. Her whole life she's been surrounded by Palace security and MI5. The MI5 agents are notorious for vanishing into thin air after a few days or weeks once their assignment is completed, never to be seen again. They never smile and they never fail to do their duty and it amazes her that she never thought how neatly Jasper fitted into this box before.

Eleanor's struck by two revelations at this point. Whoever he is and wherever he is from she is horribly, terribly, 100 percent in love with Jasper Frost (or whoever is impersonating him).

And secondly she's pretty sure that whatever is going to come out of his mouth next will tear her heart to pieces.

Everything about today has been about completion which gives her a sense of foreboding. Liam's been restored as the rightful heir, she will get a fresh start at a normal life, she's laid her father's ghost to rest by his tombside and finally Jasper has come clean about who he really is.

"Is this the end where you go back to being a government spy having delivered me from my murderous uncle and I never see you again?" Eleanor asks, her voice catching in her throat and her hand moves involuntarily to her stomach. She thinks bitterly of the promises he made that he would help her with the baby, because she has no idea how to raise a child on her own.

He still has his back to her, and Eleanor eyes trace from his neck down his broad shoulders and tapered waist longingly. Turn around, damn you, she wants to scream at him.

But he doesn't.


	20. Chapter 20

"Why won't you answer me?" Eleanor then repeats her question. "Are you going to leave now? Are you going to go back to being –"

"Just listen to me," Jasper interrupts irritably, abruptly turning around and running a hand through his hair. "No more questions until you've heard me out. Wait there."

Jasper disappears off into the room next door and Eleanor ignores his instructions and follows him, her slender figure resting against the doorway watching him as he removes a key from under a pot plant, unlocks a filing cabinet and searches through the files.

He pulls out a file and dumps it on the table in front of her.

She picks up the file he has left on the table and flips open the first page. There is a photo of Jasper, clearly taken a few years ago, and beside it is a name – James Shaw – a date of birth 29 October 1986 and a birthplace, Exminster, Devon.

Jasper starts speaking now and between flipping through her personal file, its hard to concentrate on what he is saying.

"As you can see from my file my names not Jasper Frost, its James. My father was a Captain in the army and my mother is a school teacher. I have one older brother. I have a degree in Politics and Pyschology from Exeter University. Once I graduated I worked in LA and then in Las Vegas as a bouncer. Then I was recruited by MI5 and I've done various undercover jobs for them over the past five years."

Eleanor is half listening to what he's saying while reading one of his assessment reports from his boss.

" _Quick thinker. Good weapon handling skills and self defence technique. Exceptional ability to plausibly assume a new identity and deceive others into believing his cover story. Shows charisma and magnetism which can be effective on others. Does not allow himself to be morally compromised when presented with challenging situations."_

"Says here you lie exceptionally well and don't give a damn who you hurt along the way, James Shaw from Exminster. Who would have guessed?," Eleanor says sarcastically, raising her cat green eyes from his file to look up at him.

"That was part of the job," he replies back, dismissively, turning back to look at the window.

"So, what do I call you now then?" Eleanor folds her arms and glares at him.

"It's best for everybody if you call me Jasper. When we've finished this conversation you'll have to forget it and pretend it never happened."

Does he even know what he is doing to her here? That last comment makes her even more certain that he is preparing her for when he abandons her.

She's had a couple of spells over the past two weeks where she's suddenly dizzy which she's read are common in pregnancy and it hits her now. She gropes for the table and eases herself into a chair, putting her hands on her forehead.

Jasper has finally turned away from the window and runs an eye over her, quick to recognise there's something wrong. "Are you feeling sick? Do you want some water or something?"

"No, I'm fine," Eleanor replies back. "Go on," she says, gritting her teeth. He'd better get this over with quickly.

"Right so as I mentioned I was placed undercover because of a potential threat to the Royal Family. You wanted to fire me on my second day but I needed to be inside the Palace. When I woke up in your bed that first night nothing actually happened between us, I just didn't want you left alone because you had had a helleva lot to drink and way too many drugs and I didn't want to be responsible for you ODing on my first night on the job."

"And then you blackmailed me into sleeping with you for the next couple of months, while accidentally knocking me up. And sleeping with my mother. Very smooth," Eleanor snaps, lifting her eyebrows.

Then she switches paths cutting to the point that both her and her brother have been obsessing over for the past few months. "So do you know who killed my father and my brother from your illustrious research, which I presume included things other than spring testing the durability of my bed?"

"The bed was satisfactory but you were unforgettable, baby," Jasper replies back quickfire, with a smirk.

Eleanor whips her head around to glare at him, her dark hair flaring out behind her and narrows her eyes. She picks up the nearest weapon -, which happens to be a stapler - and hurls it at him. She can't believe he's about to dump her and he's joking about that NOW.

Jasper catches the stapler with ease and places it on the desk with a grin. He really shouldn't wind her up like that, but it comes as natural as breathing to him and she's always at her most beautiful when she's angry - her eyes flash with fire and her cheeks flush pink the way they are now.

He shakes himself. He's supposed to be concentrating on explaining. Jasper takes a card from his desk. It has 6 rectangular red tiles leaning diagonally, one of which is starting to topple over.

"What's that?" Eleanor looks back at him blankly.

"This is the symbol for Domino."

Yet again, Jasper is talking in riddles only he understands. "What?," she repeats.

"Domino is a secret organisation of six of some of the world's most powerful CEOs – global corporates, banks, oil companies. Domino's agenda is to further the interests of the major corporates and to do their best to thwart any controls that limit their power and their ability to make money."

"And this is connected to my Dad and Robert how?" Eleanor questions, her brows furrowed.

"When I arrived at the Palace we didn't know what or who Domino was we only knew the symbol. When you and I left the Palace we knew the identity of two of the members of Domino but the other four were still unknown. It was only three days ago that the identity of the final member was unveiled," Jasper says, turning the card over in his hands.

He continues, rattling off the facts almost too fast for Eleanor to take it all in. "Your father's proposal to disestablish the monarchy was seen as a threat by Domino. Had the monarchy been abolished then Parliament would have established another level of scrutiny before any laws are passed – perhaps a President, perhaps another level of Parliamentary control, but in any case it would have given rise to more public scrutiny of laws and more democracy which Domino is opposed to. Any quite possibly the divestment of some power from the country's elite, including the members of Domino, which of course they would fight to the bitter end to oppose. Prince Robert was known to support efforts to limit climate change and reduce the burden of poverty. Had he come to power he would have been a dangerous opponent of everything Domino stood for."

He takes a breath and finishes, "Domino targeted both your father and your brother for assassination and arranged their murders."

Eleanor has her head in her hands again and he can't see her expression. When she looks back up at him her eyes are wide with fear. "But Liam-" she starts.

Jasper cuts her off before she can get any further, "now that we know who Domino is and what they want we are keeping them under surveillance. Over the next couple of months MI5 and the CIA will gather the evidence they need of their operations to put the members of Domino behind bars but it will take time. But Liam will be safe because every move Domino's members will make will be watched and every conversation they have will be recorded so if there is any threat to Prince Liam they will stop it."

Eleanor sits back in her chair, looking as if a huge weight has been lifted from her. If she helped return her brother to the throne and anything were to happen to him as a result of that…

Jasper moves to rest against the wall, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Domino has a lot of fingers in the pie aside from messing with the succession of the English throne. They're currently occupied with plans to secretly undermine the targets agreed to at the Paris Climate Change accord and controlling the US election results."

"How was Cyrus connected to Domino?," Eleanor asks next.

"Only loosely, he knows some of the members," Jasper shrugs. "Cyrus' agenda and Domino's agenda happened to coincide so its members were pleased to have Cyrus in power which is why Cyrus was safe as King. The threat to you and Prince Liam from Cyrus stemmed from his own lust for power and his knowledge that you are King Simon's legitimate children. Today its hard to hide the evidence of paternity forever, it would be easy for either of you to have another test done so it was imperative that he murder you both before anyone else found out the truth, and in your case our child as well before it was born and became another heir to the throne that should take precedent over him."

Eleanor sits silently at the table, trying to take in everything he has said.

"Eleanor," Jasper says, moving over to the table where she is and sitting down opposite her. "I've told a lot of lies in my life, in my line of work and I've done a lot of things that were questionable or just downright wrong. And some of them were to you and I'm sorry if I hurt you along the way. The thing with your mother was only because she made me and because I couldn't afford to leave you alone when there was a risk to your life."

He leans forward and grasps her hand and smiles. Jasper is and always has been devilishly good looking and when he smiles he looks like pure sin. He's spend the last six months toying with her heart and she's pretty sure he's not done messing her around yet. She should remove her hand, but she doesn't, because he with his stupid first class spycraft charisma and magnetism and deceitfulness has made her fall in love with him. He's made her addicted to him. And right now she'll take whatever crumbs he's giving her so she clings onto his hand for dear life.

"The truth is that after you threatened to fire me I just spun a lie because its what we do so I could to keep my job and kept spinning it because I wanted you. And then I broke the rules by falling in love with a Princess."

The frown lifts from Eleanor's face and she actually blushes a pink colour.

"The princess," she corrects, after a minute.

"I suppose I should have removed myself from the operation at that point but I couldn't leave you when you were in danger. And then I had to remove you from the Palace after the attempt on your life."

Jasper stands upright in front of her. His heart is hammering and his palms are sweaty at the thought of what he's about to do next. He's put himself on the line for her so many times before but this is his biggest gamble yet.

"Baby, you can't be Eleanor Henstridge anymore. You need a new name and a new life. We could be a family, we could be happy together. Eleanor I love you so much, I feel like I can't breathe without you. You're my life," he says, looking her square in the eyes.

He gets down on his knees and takes her hand in his. "Will you marry me Eleanor?"

* * *

 _Thanks for the previous reviews. If you are liking the story then please review and let me know. I have gone with my own versions of Jasper's back story and Domino cos I had thought of these previously and the show's version left me a bit underwhelmed – they weren't very exciting, it's like they were written in 1927 (just saying)._


	21. Chapter 21

"Marry you? You want me to _marry_ you?" Eleanor repeats, staring back at him, shocked. "I thought you were going to dump me!"

"I know, baby, that's because you weren't really listening to me at all. And even though we argue and fight and you drive me crazy, it all comes back to the fact that even though living with you is always _interesting_ -" Jasper pauses and Eleanor can hear the amusement in his voice. Challenging he could have said, but he was trying for diplomacy – "I just can't live without you," Jasper stands up and moves into Eleanor and leans forward, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

He pulls her to him suddenly and his arms encase her tightly as he talks in her ear. "I don't know what it is about you, you're impossible at times, and wild, and brave and sweet and beautiful and I need you to be mine forever – nobody else's just mine."

His lips are almost on her neck when Eleanor breaks the hold, steps back and stares back at him, every inch the Princess.

"You asked a question. Don't you want to hear the answer then?," she enquires, looking him up and down haughtily.

Jasper's not sure he wants her reply but fortune favours the bold, he supposes. "Hit me," he replies back, and straightens himself upright, raising his chin for her reply.

"So you said you fell in love with a Princess, Jasper," Eleanor starts.

"I did," he agrees.

"Well it so happens that while you were falling in love with a Princess, I fell in love with a spy masquerading as a conman masquerading as a bodyguard from Nevada, or Shoreditch or Camden," she finishes her sentence and breaks into a dazzling smile, the dimples showing on her cheeks.

Her comments give him hope and although his mouth only quirks his eyes light up. "Sounds like a complicated fellow," he offers.

"Isn't he just?" Eleanor replies back, strolling over towards him.

"Well then, Mr Jasper Frost or James Shaw or whatever other names you like to call yourself, I'll tell you something," she says leaning into him and pulling at the labels of his coat as she gives him an order. "I will marry you provided you promise never to leave me. Never," she repeats, poking him in the chest for emphasis.

"Who am I to disobey instructions from a Princess?" Jasper replies, smirking back at her.

In less than an hour she's gone from discovering she is love with this man, to thinking she will lose him forever and have to raise their child alone, to receiving an offer of marriage from him. Now that she knows she loves him it would be unbearable to be apart from him, ever again.

Eleanor grabs his coat and pulls him in for a kiss.

It's a good minute before they draw a breath and then Eleanor leans back while Jasper's hands tighten around her waist. "Exactly," she purrs, wearing a cat that got the cream expression to perfection.

...

* * *

...

It's 11.30pm and the Princess and her bodyguard are tangled up in bed, talking about the future.

Eleanor has her head on Jasper's chest. It's been a long day and her eyelids are starting to flutter as Jasper keeps talking in her ear.

"And when we're in our new home, we'll make up a room for the baby. Pink for a girl or blue for a boy," he says, running his hand through her hair in slow strokes.

"Not pink," Eleanor corrects him, wrinkling her nose. "Yellow for a girl. I don't want it to look like barbieland."

"Fine, so yellow for a girl or blue for a boy. And we'll have a little basinet and a mobile hanging over the crib."

"With animals on the mobile. Elephants, and penguins and monkeys, and pandas," Eleanor chips in, sharing her opinion.

"All of that, baby" Jasper replies, back, nodding, as he presses a kiss to her cheek.

"Oooh," says Eleanor, sounding excited. "Maybe we could paint the walls some kind of fun design for the baby, like a tropical island, or draw little teddy bears marching around the walls."

"Whatever you like, Princess. We'll make the room perfect. And our baby will be perfect too," he says, running a hand over her waist to shift her closer against him.

"If it's a girl we'll call her – " he pauses, waiting for her to repeat what she told him she wanted to call her before.

"Eve," Eleanor replies.

"And if it's a boy we'll call him Simon Robert, right?" Jasper asks.

"Right," Eleanor agrees, because she's said before that she wants to name him after her father and her brother. "Not Jack," she adds, sleepily.

"No, not Jack Frost," Jasper replies, smiling, catching on to her joke.

"And if it's a girl she'll look just like you. A beautiful little girl with dark hair and a twinkle in her eyes and-"

"We should get a puppy," Eleanor interrupts, dreamily. "A puppy just like Prince Rufus, to keep the baby company."

"Fine, we can get a puppy too, and when the baby gets bigger they can play together and chase each other around. I think if the baby's a boy I'll teach him to fish and we could get him a little football and we can play around at home. And if it's a girl well I think she'd like to learn to play football too and I could take her to games and she'd sit on my knee and I'd point out all the players so she gets to know they by heart. And in the evenings I could read my favourite stories from when I was young and you could tell them your favourite stories too, couldn't you baby?"

There is no reply and Jasper looks down at his chest. In the dim light he can see that Eleanor's eyes have closed and she is already asleep, dreaming of the return of Prince Rufus and their new life together with their baby.

...

 _Ha. I think Eleanor has been secretly formulating a plan to get the puppy Prince Rufus back for a while now and now it finally comes out – the baby needs Prince Rufus!_


	22. Chapter 22

Their wedding is a week later and the day passes in a blur to Eleanor.

There has been much debate between her and Ophelia, who's acting as her bridesmaid, about the dress. Wearing white seems a ridiculous kind of statement to make, considering everything she's got up to in her past, Eleanor says. Black is normally her go to colour, but Ophelia insists its bad luck, so they compromise on red. "Plus, brides wear it in India and its considered lucky in China," Ophelia adds.

"You do realise I'm not a Princess anymore so I don't have to consider whether the Chinese ambassador is going to be satisfied with the feng shui of my dress," Eleanor tells her, as she runs her fingers over the racks of dresses in the Scottish boutique they are visiting. "God help you if you end up marrying Liam though," she adds as an afterthought. "Your dress is going to be over analysed to death - hopefully not yours, although that would be more likely if my mother is involved."

Ophelia blushes at the thought. "I'm not sure I'm ready to think about marriage yet."

"Yes well, just don't follow my example and get so high or drunk that a video supposedly emerges which leads to you ending up in a compromising situation and getting accidentally knocked up along the way and then going on the run while your dear uncle tries to kill you," Eleanor replies, dishing out advice as confusing as it is revealing.

Ophelia has turned to look at her, wide eyed and opens her mouth to ask a question but is interrupted by Eleanor.

"But then you wouldn't, of course. You're too sensible. What do you think of this one?" Eleanor questions, holding up a red strapless knee length dress.

"I love it, looks like the one. Try it on," Ophelia is all enthusiasm in her reply.

* * *

Two days later Eleanor dons the said dress for a private ceremony at the chapel at the hospital Liam is still recovering at. The staff won't let him leave the hospital grounds. Both Eleanor and Jasper only want something simple and quick and discrete and neither of them cares that the location is not the stuff of dreams.

Liam gives her away. She was never into the idea herself but when she tells Liam she and Jasper are getting married he's quick to volunteer for this duty. She assumes its so she won't feel the absence of her father so much on this day of all days. And right now, she's so pleased to have her brother back that she'll agree to anything if it makes him happy.

She's told him about the baby, and Ophelia too, and they are the only ones who manage to be happy for her about this, because her mother couldn't bring herself to.

At the altar two tall figures stand in dark suits with black ties and crisp white shirts. One of them smooths the hair back from his chiselled features while the other adjusts his tie. Even now, two days after she first met him, Jasper's older brother Richard makes Eleanor do a double take as he stands silently beside his brother. Richard has followed his father into the military and the brothers are so alike in looks and mannerisms they could be twins.

The only other person there is the Queen, who Liam has convinced Eleanor to invite. She turns up, ridiculously overdressed as usual and even manages to be gracious for the few short hours she is there.

Ophelia walks in front and she's followed by Eleanor on Liam's arm walking down the short aisle in the simple wooden chapel. Liam is grinning from ear to ear, as proud as any father who'd watched his daughter from her cradle. Eleanor looks radiantly beautiful and Jasper stares at her longingly as she walks up the aisle to stand beside him.

Jasper turns his head to his side and scows slightly when he sees his brother look Eleanor over and grin in appreciation, making eyes at her.

Jasper jabs him in the ribs. "Are you flirting with my wife?," he growls.

"Maybe," his brother replies, raising his eyebrows devilishly. "And she's not your wife yet so as far as I'm concerned she's fair game until the ink dries."

"This might be a wedding but I have to warn you I'm carrying a gun," Jasper's replies, his voice dangerously low.

Richard raises his eyebrows and smirks back at him. "That makes two of us, then."

Eleanor tugs at Jasper's arm, and he finally turns his attention to the Reverend.

The service is quick and traditional, if only because its all been arranged so hastily neither of them have had time to consider anything different.

But as the Minister intones the words of the service, even though there are five other people in the room, all that Jasper and Eleanor can see are each other.

He's about to pronounce them husband and wife when he asks if anyone here objects to their marriage.

There is silence and then Liam steps forward. "I'm not objecting but I have one last request," he says, looking at Jasper. "Take care of Lenny for me."

Jasper smiles and looks at Eleanor, whose hand is enclosed tightly in his. "Always."

The Minister finishes by inviting the groom to kiss his bride. Jasper puts on a good show and sweeps up Eleanor in his arms, ensuring that she is thoroughly well kissed.

"Oh please, get a room," Richard interrupts them after they been kissing for a full minute and Eleanor is starting to feel like Jasper has sucked all of the air out of her lungs. Even the Minister is starting to look less benevolent and more awkwardly embarrassed, standing in front of them.

Only then does Jasper release Eleanor, and everyone claps to congratulate them.

Then it is done. They love each other, they've said so in front of everyone here today as their witnesses. He belongs to her, and she belongs to him and nothing and nobody can change that.

* * *

Three days later, they set foot on foreign soil.

They've spent 26 hours on a plane, broken by two stopovers. One of Jasper's bags has gone missing and Eleanor's been plagued by morning sickness but they've made it in the end.

Jasper's transferred from MI5 to MI6, and starts next week in this new location.

Where they are they won't have titles or fame or family, but they will have each other and the promise of a better life for their baby.

Eleanor's fingers reach down to twist her wedding ring absentmindedly as they stand together to survey the city's vista from the airport lounge.

Buenos Aires is densely population and modern and elegantly laid out before them.

Far beyond the edge of the Empire, this is the new world where they will start their new life.

 _Thank you for your reviews for the last chapter. This story is nearly at an end – there is only one more chapter to come now_.


	23. Chapter 23

_As I run, I am free  
No longer fighting gravity  
All triumph and tragedy  
Please run, run away with me  
_ _  
_It is summer again now on the other side of the world. It's been months since they arrived but Eleanor feels like her brain is still in contradiction – summer in January, and winter in July, where gentle rain and pale skies has been replaced by a sun which burns with such intensity and tropical flowers and foliage in vibrant fushia and blood red.

She never thought that here in Argentina she would be not just a wife, and soon to be mother but an entrepreneur, but Eleanor has ambitions of her own. Dreams of her own.

It all started quite innocently a week after they arrived when she went shopping for maternity clothes for when she started to show in a few weeks. Everything she found was simply awful.

She'd spent the first week trying her best to learn how to be a housewife – cooking and attempting all sorts of new things – cleaning the bathroom, vacumning, ironing, all things she reasoned she needed to learn now well before the baby arrived so it was all second nature by then.

Having found nothing suitable to wear that didn't make her look like she was not just pregnant but also 40 and very frumpy, she decided with a burst of enthusiasm that she would sew something. It sounded fine in theory but in practice something that was supposed to take three hours took three days. Lina her new 50 something neighbour came over twice during the process to give her advice, having spent many long nights at the sewing machine working on dance costumes for her daughter. In consultation they decided on where to place the tucks and pleats and what settings to use on the sewing machine.

Although it took longer than she expected, the end result was _near perfect_. It is a simple black silk dress which is gathered under the bust to provide camouflage for when her now small baby bump would soon burgeon, and finishes at a flattering length a couple of inches above the knee.

It was hard to remember a time when she had been so pleased with herself, and when she shows Jasper he wraps his arms around her and tells her he's proud of her and her heart starts to burn with a secret desire to create something bigger and better still.

Eleanor draws two more designs and selects some fabric, and Lina advises her on how to make them, and the end result is just as good as her first dress. And from there, Eleanor forms the idea to employ Lina and two girls to make and sell her own dresses. She visits two boutiques to show them her drawings and the third store agreeds to stock some of her designs and see how they sell.

Liam has written her a check for a million pounds as part of her inheritance. He wants to give her a lot more, and if she was to take her share, she would be a wealthy woman, but she only wants as much as she needs to buy a house, start her business, pay for the things the baby needs and have a bit in reserve.

Being away from Liam is the thing she finds hardest, but she is a realist and she knows that in his new life every moment is scheduled and packed with duty, and there is no place for her at home. They manage to talk twice a week on the phone and Liam promises that he will come and visit the baby sometime later in the year.

Two of the girls she employs are from the streets – Maria and Lucia. Lucia is only 17 and Maria is 22 – the same age as Eleanor.

Every day they stop work at 4.30pm and there is a fashion show, where the girls and ladies parade the items they have created that day. Eleanor's Spanish is not perfect, but the strutting, and sashaying and catcalling from her staff need no translation. Normally the girls drag Eleanor up and make her try on the dresses reserved for advanced states of pregnancy which only she can do justice to.

Argentina is a land of contrasts where the wealthy live in gated splendour and opulence while the poor live in ghettos with little hope of escape from poverty.

Eleanor grew up with everything but she sees the way her girls touch the expensive fabrics – reverently caressing it - and it makes her sad to think that they never had anything for themselves. She wants them to have the chance to feel like they are princesses too so every couple of weeks she takes them shopping with her to the fabric supplier and tells them to choose whatever material they like and make something for themselves. Her designs are selling well after all and she keeps getting more orders.

After she's been working there for a month Lucia tells her her story – at 15 she ran away from her family to escape her stepfather who beat her mother, herself and her two younger sisters. She lived on the street for a year, became addicted to cocaine and worked as a prostitute until she was rescued by a mission. She spent the next ten months learning how to sew and cook in the hope of getting a job.

Maria's story is no better. Her family is Columbian and she grew up near the Badlands where drug cartels control the streets and its citizens live in fear of their lives. She dropped out of school at 16 and started working in a factory making hats. At nineteen she lost her job when the country fell in recession and couldn't find a new one. Two months later she was on a flight to Miami with several pounds of cocaine in her gut, hoping it didn't explode and kill her on the journey. Three trips later she was lucky enough to have saved enough money to get out of the city, although the friend she made her final journey with wasn't so lucky. She'd started running a fever and had ingested some of the heroin from a split package. When Maria went to find her there was blood everywhere in the hotel bathroom. Ana had been split open with a knife and the cocaine extracted from her gut.

In Buenos Aires, Maria and Lucia and Eleanor have all left their past and families behind and are trying to starting over as someone new. Eleanor feels a sharp twinge of solidarity with these girls. Their stories make her cry and she hugs them tightly when they finish telling them but they give her hope that even in the darkest of places light can emerge. After hearing Maria and Lucia's stories, Eleanor changes her mind and that evening calls her brother and tells him she's wants to have some more of her inheritance. She wants a million pounds – not for her, but so that she can donate it to the Mission that helped Lucia so that girls like her who come from nothing have a chance at life, a chance to be something. Everyone deserves to be happy, she tells her brother, trying to make him understand.

When she arrives home that night, she waves to Eduardo as he stands outside her door while Jack follows her in. There are only traces of her royal life left, but one of the few are the two bodyguards Liam insists on paying for, which Jasper annoyingly backs him up on. After they've been in Argentina for nine weeks, the Press catches up with her and for five days there are reporters and cameras stationed outside her house. After they've got her story – the ex Princess is now married and pregnant – they pack up and leave and it takes another couple of days to get used to the silence again. Liam tells her that now she's straightened out and stopped partying she's not such a good news story so he doubts they'll be back again, unless there's some brief coverage when the baby is born.

Inside, Prince Rufus is bouncing around, his tiny doggy face begging for attention and treats. By day the littlest royal gets up to no end of mischief – three times now he's been found in the centre of a white blizzard of what used to be a toilet roll ripped to pieces as he regards his work proudly. Despite this, Eleanor has fallen hard for this little scrap of cuteness and every evening the puppy curls up happily on the couch beside her and Jasper to have his tummy rubbed.

When Jasper gets home from work, he shuts himself in the baby's room and finally calls Eleanor to look at his completed work an hour later. The room has a trail of teddy bears around the walls engaged in different activities – one is having a picnic, one is fishing, another is a Teddy Doctor with a stethoscope and one is a farmer tending his cows. In the corner there is a crib and above it hangs a mobile with an elephant, a tiger, a puppy, a sheep, a cow and a monkey.

Eleanor hasn't been allowed to see the room for the past two weeks, while Jasper perfects his masterpiece and when she enters the room she stares.

As Eleanor stands in the door, Jasper moves to close the curtains, switch off the light and then hits a switch. The roof is a pattern of stars which light up at night, sparkling like the heavens.

"It's amazing," Eleanor gasps, trying to quell the tears which are threatening to rise. "It's so beautiful," she says, taking his arm and hugging it tightly in her excitement.

"I love you," she whispers to Jasper in the dark.

"I love you too baby," he replies, resting his hand over swollen stomach and placing his head against her forehead. "You're so beautiful."

In Buenos Aires, Eleanor is something which is not defined by her birth, she does something and she belongs to someone, because she belongs with Jasper who loves her only for herself, like she's the missing part of him.

 _Now that I've found this, I'm boundless.  
Now that we've found this, we're bound_

* * *

At 10.30pm Eleanor sits outside on the deck by herself. She's trying to wean herself off smoking so that she's off them completely by the time the baby arrives. She's on to her last packet this week.

Out here in the dark she could be anywhere. She could be a child, playing hide and seek behind high stone walls, the favourite sister of her world's most famous boy. She could be 17, hopeful and virginal as she waits for Beck to come and visit her family. She could be sitting on the terrace at the Palace smoking, safe in the knowledge that her father is sitting in his office on a gilded chair attending to paperwork. Out here she can pretend, still.

Once upon a time she was a Princess and she watched from behind the Palace walls as her world collapsed about her. She had everything and she managed to lose it all – her brother, her father, her title, her home, her fortune. Now she lives on foreign soil, an exile from her home and family.

She feels the losses, she misses her brother and her father every day, but even while she carries her past with her, she knows that what she has here is real.

She's due in six weeks and by the end of the day she's totally exhausted. She slides her fingers over the firm bump on her stomach and feels as the baby kicks vigorously against her hands. This baby she carries - a son - they will name Simon Robert, after her father and her brother, represents both her past and her future.

Jasper opens the door silently, and leans back against it watching her, a tall silhouette against the light.

"Eleanor, come inside. It's getting late."

Jasper still likes to call the shots, but these days there's as much tenderness as there is command about him when he speaks to her.

Eleanor looks up, elegantly flicking her wrist so that the last of the ash from her cigarette falls to the ground, then puts it out.

The baby is weighing down her slender figure and her back aches from spending all day on her feet.

She puts her hand on the seat and awkwardly starts to manoeuvre herself onto her feet. Two seconds later, Jasper is standing in front of her reaching down to grasp her arm firmly and pulling her gently to her feet.

His hand curls around her back and rests on her hip. They walk back into the house together as night closes in behind them.

Jasper doesn't know if they will always be here, he doesn't know what tomorrow will bring but he knows Eleanor is everything to him and he will love and protect her as long as he draws breath.

Whatever the future holds, he will keep his promise to her brother.

 _The End_

 _So that's the end. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I liked writing it. Reviews would be appreciated_

 _PS Bluesky and other ladies - in fanfiction land Jasper's brother Richard is totally single!_


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